U.S. President Donald Trump announced on the 19th (local time) that Ukraine and Russia would immediately begin ceasefire talks following a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, while both sides agreed on the necessity of peace negotiations, there was no concrete progress or breakthrough regarding the holding of a Russia-Ukraine summit or other related matters.
U.S. President Donald Trump is giving a speech at the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees dinner held on the 19th (local time) at the White House State Dinner Hall in Washington D.C. / Photo by AP Yonhap News
President Trump stated on his social networking service, Truth Social, which he created, "I just finished a two-hour call with President Putin, and it went very well." He added, "Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations for a ceasefire, and more importantly, for an end to the war," explaining that "the terms (of the ceasefire and end of the war) will be decided through negotiations between the two parties, who know details that others do not."
He described the war in Ukraine as a "massacre and bloodbath," and emphasized that if a ceasefire is achieved, both sides will face significant opportunities in trade.
President Trump said, "Russia wants to engage in large-scale trade with the United States once this catastrophic massacre and bloodbath ends, and I agree," adding, "Russia has tremendous opportunities to create massive numbers of jobs and wealth, and its potential is limitless." He continued, "Similarly, Ukraine will also become a major beneficiary of trade during the process of national reconstruction."
He revealed that after his call with President Putin, he informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, and Finland of the conversation. He also mentioned, "The Vatican has expressed strong interest in hosting the negotiations on behalf of the Pope," suggesting that the peace talks could be mediated by the Holy See.
President Trump said, "Now, let's start the process," signaling that ceasefire negotiations would begin in earnest.
President Putin announced that Russia was ready to sign a memorandum, including issues related to a ceasefire with Ukraine, on this day.
After his call with President Trump, he met with reporters and said, "We talked for more than two hours. It was productive and candid. Overall, I believe it was very useful." He also stated that Russia is ready to continue cooperating with Ukraine on a memorandum regarding a potential future peace treaty.
President Putin added, "If an appropriate agreement is reached, a ceasefire can be implemented," and argued, "The fact that Russia and Ukraine held direct talks gives us reason to believe we are generally on the right track."
He went on to say, "The issue is for Russia and Ukraine to show the utmost desire for peace and to find a compromise that suits everyone. Russia's position is clear. The important thing is to eliminate the root causes of the crisis."
This phone call took place amid growing frustration from President Trump as President Putin had been passive regarding peace negotiations. Previously, President Trump, during his time as president-elect, pledged to broker a Russia-Ukraine peace deal within 24 hours of taking office and, after returning to the White House, has actively mediated ceasefire discussions between the two countries. However, as ceasefire talks continued to stall, it was reported that President Trump recently expressed frustration in private.
Although both countries gave positive assessments of this call, observers noted that neither side's statements contained content that could be interpreted as a breakthrough toward a ceasefire or the end of the war.
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