Russia: "Putin Scheduled to Talk with Trump from 4 to 6 PM"

Discussion on Normalization of Bilateral Relations and Ukraine Issues

The Kremlin announced that a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled for the 18th from 4 to 6 p.m. Moscow time (10 p.m. to 12 a.m. Korean time on the same day).

U.S. President Donald Trump (right) and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo by AP and Yonhap News

According to TASS and RIA Novosti, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, previewed this during a briefing, saying, "The two leaders will talk as much as they deem necessary." Regarding the agenda, he said, "Since there are numerous issues related to the normalization of bilateral relations and Ukraine, the two presidents will discuss all of them."

There are no plans for a separate speech by President Putin after the call. However, Peskov stated, "We will inform about the outcome of the conversation. We will do so as soon as possible."

This will be the second phone call between the two leaders since President Trump took office in January. Previously, the two presidents spoke for an hour and a half on the 12th of last month and agreed to pursue negotiations to end the war in Ukraine and normalize bilateral relations. Since then, Russia and the U.S. have held consultations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Istanbul, Turkiye; and Moscow.

Additionally, on the 11th, the U.S. held talks with the Ukrainian delegation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, agreeing on a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and urging Russia to accept it. However, President Putin expressed at a press conference on the 13th that he is fundamentally in favor of a ceasefire but believes further discussions are necessary. He also mentioned the possibility of talking with President Trump.

Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin aide, told the Russian daily Kommersant on the same day, "It has been a week since President Trump proposed the ceasefire plan, but the Ukrainian forces continue to attack Russian territory," emphasizing, "We do not lose hope. We do not give up on everything."

Meanwhile, Peskov commented on Israel resuming large-scale airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, saying, "There are concerns about the worsening situation and the whirlpool of further escalation."