Trump Says Putin Agreed To Talks To End Russia-Ukraine War

In a possibly massive development, President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to open immediate talks to end the war in Ukraine in a “lengthy and highly productive phone call” between the two leaders.

“I believe this effort will lead to a successful conclusion, hopefully soon!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Mr Trump also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after his call with Putin.

The conversations occurred as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered the fullest view yet of the administration’s approach to the conflict. Hegseth told foreign leaders and allies during a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting that a return to Ukraine’s pre-war borders is an “unrealistic objective” in peace talks, as was NATO membership for Ukraine.

“Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering,” Hegseth said. While he ruled out NATO membership, Hegseth said the U.S. recognized Ukraine must receive “robust security guarantees.”

Trump called his conversation with Putin, which the Kremlin said lasted for an hour and a half, a “highly productive” one. “President Putin even used my very strong Campaign motto of, ‘COMMON SENSE.’ We both believe very strongly in it,” Trump said.

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Trump “spoke in favor of an early end to hostilities and a peaceful solution to the problem. President Putin mentioned the need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and agreed with Trump that a long-term settlement can be achieved through peaceful negotiations.”

Trump called Zelenskyy after his discussion with Putin, with their call lasting for about an hour. Ukraine, which once denied any possibility of negotiating with Russia, has recently signaled that they are open to peace talks.