Trump Announces Agreement with Putin to Immediately Begin Peace Talks and Arrange Mutual Visits

Negotiations to End Ukraine War Expected to Gain Momentum

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which they agreed to immediately begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine and to arrange mutual visits between the two leaders. Discussions aimed at ending the Ukraine war, which has continued for three years since February 2022, are expected to gain significant momentum.

On February 12 (local time), President Trump stated on his own social networking service, Truth Social, "We all agreed that we want to prevent millions of deaths in the Russia-Ukraine war," announcing the agreement.

He added, "We agreed to work very closely together, including visiting each other's countries," and said, "Our respective teams will begin negotiations immediately." He further explained, "I will start by calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to inform him of the contents of our conversation."

President Trump reported that he had instructed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff to lead the negotiations.

He expressed confidence, saying, "I am certain the negotiations will succeed. Millions of people have died in a war that would not have happened if I were president, but since the war did occur, it must be brought to an end." He continued, "I appreciate President Putin's time and effort for this call, and I also thank him for releasing Mark Fogel, a remarkable individual whom I personally greeted last night at the White House." Trump reiterated his commitment to a successful negotiation by stating, "I believe this effort will hopefully soon lead to a successful conclusion."

Mark Fogel is an American who was detained in Russia in the summer of 2021 on charges of drug smuggling.

President Trump also indicated that, once the Ukraine war ends, the two countries could expand cooperation in various fields.

He said, "We discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, energy, artificial intelligence (AI), the strength of the dollar, and many other topics," describing it as "a long and very productive conversation." He emphasized, "We discussed the strengths of our respective countries and the significant benefits that can be gained through future cooperation."