Egypt Daily News – U.S. President Donald Trump said his call with Russian President Vladimir Putin went well, and that Moscow and Kyiv would “immediately begin negotiations” for a ceasefire and an end to the war that has lasted more than three years. But how did Kyiv respond?
President Donald Trump stated that negotiations between Russia and Ukraine would begin “immediately” following a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform “Truth Social” after the two-hour call: “Russia and Ukraine will immediately begin negotiations for a ceasefire and, more importantly, an end to the war.”
He added: “The terms of this will be negotiated by the two parties, as needed only, because they are the ones who know the details of the negotiations that no one else does.” He said he had informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as leaders of the European Commission, France, Italy, Germany, and Finland, about the outcome of his call with Putin. He added that the Vatican had offered to host the negotiations and ended his post with: “Let the process begin!”
Following the call, Putin said efforts to end the war were “generally on the right track,” adding that Moscow was ready to work with Ukraine on a potential peace agreement. Putin told reporters near the Black Sea resort of Sochi, “We agreed with the President of the United States that Russia… is ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum of understanding regarding a possible future peace agreement.”
The Kremlin stated that Putin and his American counterpart did not discuss a specific timeline for a ceasefire in Ukraine during their two-hour phone call, but Trump emphasized his interest in reaching agreements quickly.
Kyiv ready to study the Russian offer
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was quoted as saying he currently had no details regarding the “memorandum” of understanding. While expressing Kyiv’s willingness to study the Russian offer, he said during a press conference in Kyiv: “At the moment, I don’t know anything about that.” He continued: “Once we receive the memorandum or proposals from the Russians, we’ll be able to formulate our vision.”
A well-informed source said earlier that Zelensky spoke “for a few minutes” with Trump before his call with Putin.
Zelensky said he spoke with Trump on Monday before the American president’s call with his Russian counterpart, then held another phone conversation afterward that included leaders from France, Finland, Germany, Italy, and the European Union. He added, “We are considering holding a high-level meeting with all parties.”
Berlin: Washington agreed to coordinate with European partners
The German government announced that the United States had agreed to “closely coordinate” with European partners regarding talks on Ukraine following the phone call between the American and Russian presidents. Immediately after his conversation with Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump made a second call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
According to a readout of the call shared by the German chancellor’s spokesperson, the leaders “discussed next steps” and “stressed their determination to closely support Ukraine on the path toward a ceasefire.”
Trump is keen to end the war that began with the Russian invasion in February 2022, making these negotiations a serious test of his reputation as a dealmaker after claiming he would resolve the conflict quickly once back in the White House—if not even before taking office.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday, ahead of the two phone calls, that Trump had grown frustrated and bored with both sides of the conflict. She added, “He made it clear to both parties that he wants to see a peaceful resolution and a ceasefire as soon as possible.”
President Trump is relying on the idea that his strong personality and personal history with Putin will be enough to break any obstacles to ending the fighting.
