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Donald Trump claimed that Russia and Ukraine would “quickly” start negotiations on preparations for peace talks, but he showed that he would leave Moscow and Kiev to find a deal as a broker without the United States.
After a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Voldimi Zelenki, Trump said, “Russia and Ukraine will soon begin negotiations for a ceasefire and, more importantly, towards the end of the war.”
While the read of Putin’s call was more tentative and he provided no substantial change in the Kremlin stance, Zelensky begged the American leader not to “distance” himself from efforts to ensure peace.
“The only person who will benefit from that is Putin,” Zelensky said in a statement.
In a statement showing Washington may be retreating from his role as a mediator, Trump said the “conditions for the deal” could only be agreed by the war parties “because they know the details of the negotiations no one else knows.”
He also said the Vatican was “very interested” in hosting the talks. Later that day, at a Rose Garden event, Trump was asked if he thought Putin wanted peace, and Pope Leo could help deliver it, he replied: “I will.”
In his more wary account, Putin said he was “ready for work” with Kiev to take on future talks that could include a “set time” ceasefire.
Putin told a reporter for state media that his conversation with Trump was “very open and therefore extremely useful.” However, he did not announce any major changes to Moscow’s position regarding the full-scale invasion of Russia’s Ukraine.
“We have agreed with the US President that Russia is ready to work with the Ukrainian side in a memorandum of understanding on the possibility of a future peace agreement,” Putin said.
He also said that Russia’s main purpose is still “to eliminate the underlying cause of this crisis” in a language that shows that his central demands remain unchanged.
Officials in Zelenskyy’s office said in a statement that Ukrainian leaders repeatedly told Trump that Ukraine is “ready to negotiate directly with Russia in any form of consequence,” but they were not sure what the memorandum would turn out to.
“There is no need to convince Ukraine, and our representatives are ready to make a real decision in negotiations,” Zelensky said in a statement Monday. “What is needed is that mirrors are ready from Russia to engage in meaningful consultations.”
Zelenskyy sought “strong sanctions” in Moscow from its western Ukrainian partners.
Last week, Russian negotiators demanded that Kiev withdraw from its territory’s belt and threatened to occupy more Ukraine’s territory.
Trump also said he spoke to Zelensky shortly after his call with Putin, along with leaders from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Finland and the European Commission.
German Prime Minister Friedrich Merz said all participants in the phone “reaffirmed their willingness to closely support Ukraine on the path to a ceasefire.”
However, the two explained their appeals with European leaders. Trump said he has made clear that he will pull the US back from ties with the conflict, leave Ukraine and Russia, and negotiate a ceasefire directly. He also did not promise future US sanctions on Russia if Putin refused to attempt peace.
One person familiar with the conversation said the leader was unsure of the US president’s explanation of what was agreed upon. They added that it is clear that Trump is “not ready to put more pressure on Putin” to come to the negotiation table seriously.
Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters that the call was given in a “mutual respect” tone, and that Trump has expressed support for normalizing relations between Washington and Moscow.
“President Trump spoke very passionately about the outlook for those relationships I can say,” Ushakov said. “In particular, he pointed out that after some of the conflicts in Ukraine have been resolved, the outlook for bilateral relations looks very impressive.”
The call on Monday came days after Putin refused to attend peace talks with Turkey’s Ukraine.
Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have been accelerating in recent weeks, with Russia and Ukraine holding in-person meetings in Istanbul on Friday, the first time since the start of the Three Years’ War.
Trump vowed to end the war on the first day of his second term, but peace has proven elusive, with both sides still far apart.
In European capitals, leaders fear that Trump will cut deals with Putin, who agrees to his maximalist demands, and sell out Ukraine’s profits in a hurry to end the battle.
Additional Reports by Anne Sylvein Chassany of Berlin
