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| Donald Trump said he had a "lengthy" call with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday |
'We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations,' Trump says
President Donald Trump announced that he had a "lengthy" phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, during which Putin agreed to "immediately" initiate negotiations aimed at ending the ongoing war in Ukraine.
"We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations," Trump stated in a Truth Social post on Wednesday. "We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now. I have asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of the CIA John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Ambassador and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, to lead the negotiations which, I feel strongly, will be successful."
War in Ukraine and Trump's Stance
The war between Russia and Ukraine began in February 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighboring country. Trump has frequently asserted that if he had been president at the time, the conflict "would not have happened" and has repeatedly promised to bring the war to a swift end if re-elected.
In his post, Trump noted that his conversation with Putin also covered the broader history of U.S.-Russia relations, including Russia’s role in World War II.
"We both reflected on the Great History of our Nations, and the fact that we fought so successfully together in World War II, remembering, that Russia lost tens of millions of people, and we, likewise, lost so many!" Trump wrote on Truth Social, summarizing the call with Putin.
"We each talked about the strengths of our respective Nations, and the great benefit that we will someday have in working together. But first, as we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine. President Putin even used my very strong Campaign motto of, 'COMMON SENSE.'”
Kremlin Confirms Discussion, Extends Invitation
According to a translated Russian-language statement from the Kremlin, Putin invited Trump to visit Moscow during their call. The statement also confirmed that the two leaders discussed pathways to a peaceful resolution in Ukraine.
Trump Speaks with Zelenskyy, Urges Peace
In a follow-up post on Wednesday, Trump revealed that he also held a separate call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"The conversation went very well," Trump shared. "He, like President Putin, wants to make PEACE. We discussed a variety of topics having to do with the War, but mostly, the meeting that is being set up on Friday in Munich, where Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the Delegation. I am hopeful that the results of that meeting will be positive. It is time to stop this ridiculous War, where there has been massive, and totally unnecessary, DEATH and DESTRUCTION. God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine!"
Marc Fogel’s Release and U.S.-Russia Negotiations
Trump’s announcement came on the same day that Marc Fogel, an American who had been imprisoned in Russia since 2021 for marijuana possession, returned to the U.S..
National Security Advisor Michael Waltz confirmed that the U.S. and Russia "negotiated an exchange" to secure Fogel’s release, but did not disclose further details on the terms of the deal.
In his Truth Social post, Trump expressed gratitude to Putin for both the discussion on Ukraine and Fogel’s release.
"Millions of people have died in a War that would not have happened if I were President, but it did happen, so it must end," he wrote. "No more lives should be lost! I want to thank President Putin for his time and effort with respect to this call, and for the release, yesterday, of Marc Fogel, a wonderful man that I personally greeted last night at the White House. I believe this effort will lead to a successful conclusion, hopefully soon!"
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