US President Donald Trump announced a “lengthy and highly productive” phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, during which they agreed to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. Trump shared on his Truth Social platform that both leaders instructed their teams to start talks immediately.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later confirmed he had spoken with Trump about achieving “lasting, reliable peace.” However, Trump and his defense secretary stated that Ukraine is unlikely to join NATO, a disappointment for Kyiv.
Zelensky is scheduled to meet Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a defense summit in Munich on Friday.
On social media, Trump urged for an end to the “ridiculous war” and called for peace between Russia and Ukraine. He mentioned plans to meet Putin in Saudi Arabia but shared that the two also extended mutual invitations to visit their capitals.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the phone call lasted nearly 90 minutes, during which Putin invited Trump to Moscow and expressed support for the peace initiative.
Trump also remarked that Ukraine was unlikely to return to its pre-2014 borders but hinted that “some of that land will come back.” His defense secretary reiterated at a NATO summit that Ukraine’s NATO membership remains improbable.
