Trump and Putin Initiate Peace Talks on Ukraine Conflict

In a surprising move, former U.S. President Donald Trump disclosed that he engaged in a "lengthy and highly productive" phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump said both leaders agreed to have their teams begin negotiations immediately to seek a resolution to the war. Following the conversation, Trump indicated he would reach out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to brief him on the discussions.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin supported the initiative, suggesting that it was time to collaborate for peace. The call, which lasted approximately an hour and a half, included an invitation for Trump to visit Moscow. Subsequently, Ukraine's presidency confirmed that Zelensky had indeed been briefed by Trump in a phone conversation that lasted about an hour, as reported by AFP.

This development emerges as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remarked during a NATO summit that returning Ukraine to its pre-2014 borders might be an "unrealistic" expectation. The landscape of international relations continues to shift as negotiations unfold, with the prospect of peace in Ukraine hanging in the balance.