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Donald Trump said on Monday that Russia and Ukraine would begin peace negotiations “immediately”, even though in separate comments Vladimir Putin did not spell out any substantive change in the Kremlin’s stance.
After a two hour call between the US and Russian presidents, Trump posted that “Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War”.
In comments that indicated that Washington may be stepping back from any role as a broker between the warring parties, Trump said the Vatican would be “very interested” in hosting the talks, adding: “Let the process begin!”
Putin’s readout of the conversation with the US president was much more tentative. The Russian president said he was “ready to work” with Kyiv on a memorandum to frame future talks, which could include a possible ceasefire “for a certain amount of time”.
Putin told a state media reporter that the conversation with Trump had been “very candid and therefore very useful”. But he did not announce any major shifts in Russia’s position on the war in Ukraine.
“We agreed with the US president that Russia will propose and is ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum about the possible future peace agreement,” Putin said.
Trump spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a separate phone call earlier in the day.
The comments from the Russian president come a week after he refused to attend peace talks with Ukraine in Turkey, leading Trump to say that “nothing is going to happen” until he and the Russian president met.
Trump had indicated his willingness to meet Putin for the talks in Turkey.
On Monday, the Russian president said the memorandum would include “the principles on which a peace agreement would be based, the timing of a possible peace agreement” and “a possible ceasefire for a certain amount of time, if certain agreements are reached”.
However, Putin added that Russia’s main objective was “to eliminate the root causes of this crisis”, in language that signalled his key demands remain unchanged.
Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have accelerated in recent weeks, with Russia and Ukraine holding direct talks in Istanbul on Friday, their first since the start of the three-year war.
Trump vowed to end the war on day one of his second term but peace has proven elusive, with both sides still far apart.
In European capitals, leaders fear that Trump could cut a deal with Putin that accedes to his maximalist demands and sells out Ukraine’s interests in his haste to end the fighting.
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