'Russia, Ukraine to immediately begin ceasefire, peace talks': Trump after call with Putin

The White House reported the information, according to The Guardian.

At around 6:00 p.m., the Trump administration reported that the conversation between him and Putin was ongoing.

Before the call, the American leader spoke by telephone with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It is expected that Trump will also call the President of Ukraine after the conversation with the Russian dictator.

At around 7:45 p.m., Putin came out to speak with journalists. The conversation with the American leader lasted more than two hours. He called it "meaningful, frank, and very useful," according to RIA Novosti.

According to him, Russia allegedly supports the cessation of hostilities, but "it is necessary to develop the most effective ways to move towards peace." He added that the Kremlin is ready to work on a memorandum with Ukraine, which includes, in particular, a ceasefire.

"We are generally on the right track," Putin said, commenting on the start of the negotiation process with Ukraine.

Putin’s spokesperson, Peskov, told Russia 1 journalist Pavel Zarubin that Trump’s position is allegedly neutral and that he is genuinely engaged in efforts to resolve the conflict. He described the stance of European politicians as “openly pro-Ukrainian.”

According to Peskov, real mediation can only be carried out by a party that maintains an equal distance from both sides of the conflict.

Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov, stated that at the beginning of the conversation, the Russian dictator congratulated Trump on the birth of his 11th grandchild, wishing good health to the newborn and to the U.S. leader’s daughter.

According to Ushakov, Trump allegedly sees Russia as one of the most important partners of the United States.

Ushakov reported that Putin and Trump agreed to continue their dialogue on all issues, including Ukraine.

“The leaders do not rule out holding a personal meeting, but the place and date have not yet been determined. The conversation did not touch on any specific timeframe for reaching a possible ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine,” Putin’s aide said.

He added: “The conversation was frank and constructive, conducted in a spirit of mutual respect. The leaders discussed the state of U.S.-Russia relations and expressed support for their further normalization. The presidents discussed the issue of prisoner exchanges, and the Kremlin reported that plans for a 9-for-9 citizen exchange were discussed.”

Trump’s statement

After his conversation with Putin, Trump wrote on his social network Truth Social that the communication “went very well.”

“Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War. The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of. The tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent. If it wasn’t, I would say so now, rather than later,” said the U.S. president.

According to him, Russia wants to engage in large-scale trade with the United States. He noted that he would agree to this when this catastrophic bloodbath ends. Trump believes that for Russia there is a huge opportunity to create a tremendous number of jobs and wealth, and that its potential is limitless.

“Likewise, Ukraine can be a great beneficiary on Trade, in the process of rebuilding its Country. Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will begin immediately. I have so informed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, President Emmanuel Macron, of France, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, of Italy, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, of Germany, and President Alexander Stubb, of Finland, during a call with me, immediately after the call with President Putin. The Vatican, as represented by the Pope, has stated that it would be very interested in hosting the negotiations. Let the process begin!” Trump emphasized.

• On May 17, Donald Trump announced that on May 19 he would hold a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin, after which he would call President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

• On May 19, Trump called Zelenskyy before calling Putin.