In a significant diplomatic move, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin engaged in a high-stakes phone call aimed at securing a 30-day ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The conversation, lasting at least 90 minutes, took place as the Trump administration seeks Moscow's support for a temporary pause in the fighting. The call, which commenced at 10 a.m. ET, was described by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino as "going well."
The Trump administration's overtures to Russia signal a willingness to explore compromises in an effort to halt hostilities. During the call, Russia was anticipated to present conditions for any cessation of fighting, which could include halting all weapon shipments to Ukraine. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko emphasized that Moscow would insist on "ironclad security guarantees" as part of any peace agreement.
"We will demand that cast-iron security guarantees become part of this agreement," Grushko stated.
The discussion also touched upon Ukraine's potential membership in NATO, with Russia's stance being that Ukraine should remain neutral and refrain from joining the Western military alliance. Putin expressed agreement with the ceasefire proposal in principle but underscored the necessity of further negotiations, highlighting the considerable gap between the two nations' priorities.
"The idea [of a ceasefire] itself is correct and we are certainly supporting it, but there are issues that need to be discussed," Putin remarked.
The phone call between Trump and Putin comes amidst ongoing tensions and past ceasefire agreements between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces that have often been marred by accusations of violations from both sides. Despite these challenges, Ukraine has already accepted a ceasefire proposal, prompting Washington to resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
Trump conveyed to reporters after the call that discussions also included topics such as power plants, indicating that the dialogue spanned several areas of interest. He expressed cautious optimism about reaching an agreement with Russia.
"Maybe they can come to an agreement, maybe they can't, but he thinks they have a good chance," Trump commented.
The Kremlin's conditions for a ceasefire are expected to be stringent, with Putin demanding assurances that would lead to lasting peace and address the root causes of the crisis.
"Maybe call President Trump and discuss it together. But we support the very idea of ending this conflict through peaceful means," Putin suggested.
However, Ukraine remains skeptical of Russia's intentions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has voiced concerns over Putin's response to the ceasefire proposal.
"Now we have all heard very predictable, very manipulative words from Putin in response to the idea of silence at the front — he is, in fact, preparing to reject it as of now," Zelenskyy stated.