Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump discussed the positions of the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in peace deal talks to end the ongoing conflict in a phone call on Monday, August 18, a Kremlin aide said, following Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and top European leaders at the White House, Newsweek reported.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the call, which lasted about 40 minutes and was initiated by the US president, focused on the next steps in the peace effort. He said Trump and Putin expressed their support for continuing direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives at the negotiating table and explored the idea of involving top representatives.
Why It Matters
The latest talks between Trump, Zelenskyy, and European leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, Giorgia Meloni, Alexander Stubb, Friedrich Merz, and Mark Rutte, on Monday failed to reach an agreement to end three and a half years of Russian aggression, but the gathering raised hopes for a long-awaited trilateral meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy, and Putin.
The August 15 summit was the first direct meeting between Trump and Putin since Trump returned to power, and both sides described it as frank but difficult. Newsweek reported that officials briefed on the talks said the meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, focused on the terms of the ceasefire and highlighted the deep divisions that remain over Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
What To Know
Russian state agencies TASS and RIA reported on Monday that Putin thanked Trump for the US’s “hospitality and progress” at the summit in Anchorage, Alaska. In an audio message posted on the Kremlin’s official Telegram channel, Ushakov said the two leaders pledged to maintain close communication on Ukraine and other important issues on the international and bilateral agenda, as reported by Reuters.
Putin stressed the importance of Trump’s personal involvement in a long-term solution to the conflict between the two countries and called the conversation “frank and highly constructive.”
Trump said he would support European security guarantees for Ukraine during talks with Zelenskyy and the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Finland, including the European Commission president and NATO secretary general. But Trump stopped short of committing to deploying US troops, suggesting a more “NATO-like” security presence, which would be determined in future discussions with European Union leaders.
Also Read: Donald Trump leaves summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska without confirming ceasefire
According to the Financial Times, Ukraine has proposed a $100 billion plan to buy US military equipment with European financial support, as well as a $50 billion drone-manufacturing deal with American companies, as part of an effort to secure US security guarantees after a potential ceasefire with Russia.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said during a phone call with the Russian president that a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy would take place within the next two weeks. The venue for the talks has not yet been decided, he said.
Newsweek’s reporting contributed to this article.