Trump asserts he and Putin will negotiate to conclude the conflict in Ukraine
The president stated that he had a conversation with the Russian leader and expressed their enthusiasm for collaboration.
TroibNews 
President Donald Trump announced that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a “lengthy and highly productive phone call” on Wednesday morning, during which they agreed to collaborate “very closely” on finding a diplomatic resolution to the war in Ukraine and to visit each other’s countries.
In a detailed social media post summarizing the conversation, Trump indicated a notable shift in strategy, expressing a desire to normalize relations with Russia despite its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. This implies Trump’s readiness to engage with Putin on the shared goal of ending the conflict that Russia initiated.
“As we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine,” Trump remarked. “President Putin even used my very strong Campaign motto of, ‘COMMON SENSE.'"
Emphasizing his commitment to ending the nearly three-year war in Ukraine, Trump suggested initiating negotiations primarily between the U.S. and Russia, positioning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a secondary party in the discussions.
Trump noted, “also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now.”
This new stance contrasts sharply with Trump’s earlier threats directed at Putin during his first days in office and marks a significant departure from the American foreign policy approach under former President Joe Biden, who severed diplomatic relations with Russia and emphasized close coordination with Zelenskyy and NATO allies.
The timing of Trump’s conversation with Putin coincided with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth informing European allies that the U.S. now views “returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective.” Hegseth also seemed to concede a crucial leverage point for the West in negotiations, stating that the best security guarantee for Ukraine—NATO membership—is not seen as “a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement” according to the current administration.
In his post, Trump also stated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff would lead the negotiations aimed at resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
In a detailed social media post summarizing the conversation, Trump indicated a notable shift in strategy, expressing a desire to normalize relations with Russia despite its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. This implies Trump’s readiness to engage with Putin on the shared goal of ending the conflict that Russia initiated.
“As we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine,” Trump remarked. “President Putin even used my very strong Campaign motto of, ‘COMMON SENSE.'"
Emphasizing his commitment to ending the nearly three-year war in Ukraine, Trump suggested initiating negotiations primarily between the U.S. and Russia, positioning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a secondary party in the discussions.
Trump noted, “also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now.”
This new stance contrasts sharply with Trump’s earlier threats directed at Putin during his first days in office and marks a significant departure from the American foreign policy approach under former President Joe Biden, who severed diplomatic relations with Russia and emphasized close coordination with Zelenskyy and NATO allies.
The timing of Trump’s conversation with Putin coincided with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth informing European allies that the U.S. now views “returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective.” Hegseth also seemed to concede a crucial leverage point for the West in negotiations, stating that the best security guarantee for Ukraine—NATO membership—is not seen as “a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement” according to the current administration.
In his post, Trump also stated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff would lead the negotiations aimed at resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
