Russia Trump on the phone with Putin: Ukraine negotiations planned
US President Donald Trump has spoken to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin on the phone and agreed to immediate negotiations on an end to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Trump announced this on the online platform Truth Social following the conversation. The Kremlin confirmed the phone call.
12.02.2025, 18:44
SDA
Trump wrote that he had a "long and very productive" phone call with Putin. "We agreed to work very closely together and also to visit each other's nations." Negotiations should begin immediately to end the war in Ukraine. The first thing he will do is inform Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the talks. "I believe that these efforts will lead to a successful conclusion, hopefully soon!"
The message from the Kremlin
The Kremlin said that Putin had declared his willingness to receive representatives of the White House in Russia - also to resolve the Ukraine conflict, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "Putin and Trump have also agreed to continue personal contacts, including the organization of a personal meeting."
Putin had invited Trump to Moscow. However, he pointed out in the phone call that Russia insisted on eliminating the cause of the conflict. According to Moscow, the Russian war of aggression was caused by Ukraine's aspirations to join Nato and the alleged oppression of the Russian-speaking minority.
The Americans' conditions for a peace deal
Shortly before the announcement of the phone call, Trump's government had for the first time publicly outlined in detail how it envisioned an end to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The Americans consider painful concessions by Kiev to be unavoidable - including the renunciation of NATO membership. In addition, the USA believes that the Europeans are largely solely responsible for supporting Ukraine and securing peace militarily - without American troops.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth presented the ideas at a Ukraine meeting in Brussels, at which arms deliveries for Kiev were actually to be coordinated. He thus confirmed the gloomy premonitions of Ukrainians and Europeans.
The relationship between the presidents
During the election campaign, Trump repeatedly claimed that he could end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours - partly due to his good contacts with Putin. However, the deadline passed without result after he took office. Since taking office, Trump had repeatedly responded conspicuously evasively to questions as to whether he had already spoken to the Kremlin leader on the phone since being sworn in. However, he had already mentioned a personal meeting with Putin in the near future.
Trump was repeatedly accused of cozying up to Putin during his first term in office (2017 to 2021). By contrast, he had repeatedly duped traditional US allies such as Germany, thereby also playing into the Kremlin leader's hands.
