U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to initiate negotiations aimed at ending the nearly three-year war in Ukraine.
Trump revealed that Putin consented to the talks during a phone call on Wednesday, marking the first publicly disclosed conversation between the two leaders since Trump assumed the presidency for a second term.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the phone call as “lengthy and highly productive,” stating that both leaders agreed to have their respective teams begin negotiations immediately. “As we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine,” Trump wrote.
Trump also noted that Putin referenced his campaign slogan, “COMMON SENSE,” which both leaders strongly endorsed during the discussion.
The U.S. negotiating team will reportedly include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, and Steve Witkoff, who will serve as ambassador and special envoy. Trump expressed confidence in the success of the negotiations and revealed that he and Putin also agreed to arrange reciprocal visits to each other’s countries.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government has raised concerns over the prospect of negotiations, particularly if they exclude U.S. military involvement in Ukraine.
