Trump’s Phone Call with Putin and Plans for a Summit
On Thursday, President Donald Trump shared that he had a “long” and “very fruitful” phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. They talked about the possibility of ending the war in Ukraine.
Following their discussion, Trump announced intentions for a future summit in Budapest, Hungary, aimed at exploring solutions to the ongoing conflict. He characterized the conversation as a positive step towards peace.
The call with Putin occurred just a day before Trump was set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
“I am speaking with President Putin right now. The conversation is ongoing and long, but I will report on it as well as President Putin when it is over. Thank you for your attention to this issue!” Trump wrote.
After his initial social media update, Trump elaborated on his conversation with Putin. He stated that Putin praised his efforts in achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and appreciated the First Lady’s work in reuniting children affected by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“I just finished a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and it was a very fruitful conversation. President Putin congratulated me and the United States on the great achievement of peace in the Middle East. This, he said, has been dreamed of for centuries. I actually believe that success in the Middle East will help us negotiate an end to the war with Russia/Ukraine,” Trump noted.
“President Putin thanked First Lady Melania for her involvement with the children. He was very grateful and said this will continue.”
In addition, Trump discussed potential post-war U.S.-Russian trade implications with Putin. He said that U.S. and Russian officials would engage in preliminary talks, leading to a planned face-to-face meeting between the two leaders.
“At the end of the phone call, we agreed to hold a high-level advisory meeting next week. The first US meeting will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and various other individuals will be named. The location of the meeting will now be determined. President Putin and I will then meet in an agreed location, Budapest, Hungary, to see if we can end this ‘disgraceful war’ between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump explained.
Trump concluded his post by mentioning an upcoming meeting with Zelenskiy in the Oval Office on Friday, where he planned to discuss his talks with Putin and other related matters.
“I believe we made significant progress during today’s call.”
Trump’s conversation with Putin and the announcement of a summit indicate ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Recently, he hinted at considering the sale of Tomahawk missiles to NATO countries for use in Ukraine.
That said, even though the Tomahawk missile may arise during Zelenskiy’s visit to the White House, Trump didn’t touch on it during his call with Putin.
