News Brief
US-Russia Negotiations On Ukraine War To Begin As Trump And Putin Seek Diplomatic Solution
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (R) offers a ball of the 2018 football World Cup to US President Donald Trump during a joint press conference. (YURI KADOBNOV/AFP/Getty Images)
United States (US) President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to start negotiations aimed at ending the Ukraine war, with both leaders vowing to work closely toward a resolution, Trump announced on Wednesday (13 February), reported 'The Hindu.
Talks to Begin Immediately
In a social media post, Trump revealed that during a phone call with Putin, they discussed the “strengths of their respective Nations” and the potential benefits of future cooperation.
However, the immediate focus of their conversation was stopping the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“We both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the war with Russia/Ukraine,” Trump said.
He further added that both leaders had decided to begin negotiations immediately and would be informing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about their discussion.
Phone Call Follows Prisoner Swap
The conversation between Trump and Putin came shortly after a high-profile prisoner exchange between the US and Russia.
As part of the deal, Russia released American schoolteacher Marc Fogel, who had been detained for more than three years on drug-related charges, while the US freed Alexander Vinnik, a convicted Russian criminal.
The Kremlin also acknowledged that the prisoner swap could help “strengthen mutual trust” between the two nations.
Putin Extends Invitation to Trump
In addition to Ukraine, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations, the Middle East, and the prisoner exchange, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
He confirmed that Putin had invited Trump to visit Moscow and expressed Russia’s willingness to receive American officials for further discussions on the Ukrainian conflict.
“Putin and Trump also agreed to continue personal contacts, including arranging a face-to-face meeting,” Peskov told Russian state media.
The call marks the first direct conversation between the two leaders since Trump took office and the first time Putin has spoken to a sitting US President since February 2022, when he had a call with Joe Biden shortly before launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
