U.S. President Donald Trump announced Monday that Russia and Ukraine will begin peace talks immediately, following a two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The conversation comes amid renewed diplomatic activity aimed at ending the three-year conflict that has caused widespread destruction in Ukraine.
“Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will begin immediately,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. He also noted that the Vatican, represented by the Pope, had expressed interest in hosting the talks.
Speaking after the call from the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Putin said Moscow is ready to cooperate on a peace deal and that the dialogue is moving in a positive direction.
“We have agreed with the President of the United States that Russia will propose and is ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum on a possible future peace accord,” Putin told reporters.
Putin said the document would outline basic principles, including a potential timeline for reaching a broader settlement. He added that a ceasefire could follow if both sides reached consensus.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not issued a public response. A source familiar with the situation said Zelenskyy spoke briefly with Trump before the U.S. leader’s conversation with Putin.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 19, 2025
Last week, representatives from Russia and Ukraine held face-to-face talks in Turkey—the first since early 2022. Those discussions ended without agreement on a ceasefire.
Before Trump’s call with Putin, U.S. Vice President JD Vance cautioned that Washington may step away from the process if no progress is made.
There was “a bit of an impasse here,” Vance said shortly before the call. “And I think the president’s going to say to President Putin: ‘Look, are you serious? Are you real about this?’”
Vance added that Russia appears uncertain about how to exit the conflict. He said it “takes two to tango. I know the president’s willing to do that, but if Russia is not willing to do that, then we’re eventually just going to say, ‘This is not our war.’”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump remains committed to securing a ceasefire but is growing frustrated with the lack of movement. He had grown “weary and frustrated with both sides of the conflict,” she said. When asked whether secondary sanctions on Russia remain under consideration, she said, “I think everything’s on the table.”
Despite increasing pressure, Putin has stood firm on his terms. Russian forces currently control about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory and continue military operations in contested areas. European leaders have also urged stronger U.S. support for new sanctions against Moscow.
Trump has pledged to end the war swiftly, calling the conflict Europe’s deadliest since World War II.
