Trump says he and Putin agreed to start negotiations to end Ukraine war: ‘It must end’
SUMMARY
President Donald Trump announced that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine "immediately." In a statement on Truth Social, Trump described their conversation as “lengthy and highly productive,” covering topics including Ukraine, the Middle East, energy, artificial intelligence, and the global economy. He stated that he would contact Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to brief him on the discussion. Trump had previously pledged to end the war during his presidential campaign and suggested that U.S. access to Ukraine’s core earth metals should be included in a potential settlement. The conversation followed a U.S.-Russia prisoner exchange that secured the release of American teacher Marc Fogel in exchange for Russian crypto executive Alexander Vinnik, who pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy. The Kremlin has not publicly confirmed the discussion, and it remains unclear how Ukraine will respond.
