Trump dials Putin, calls for ceasefire

US President Donald Trump said Monday that Russia and Ukraine 'will immediately start negotiations' toward a ceasefire and an end to their three-year-old war, speaking after he held a call with Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

- REUTERS

“Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will begin immediately,” Trump said in a Truth Social post following his call with Putin, which lasted two hours.

After the call, Putin said efforts to end the war were “generally on the right track” and that Moscow was ready to work with Ukraine on a potential peace deal.

“We have agreed with the president of the United States that Russia will propose and is ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum on a possible future peace accord,” Putin told reporters near the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the statement that talks would begin immediately. A source familiar with the matter earlier said Zelenskiy spoke "for a few minutes" with Trump before the U.S. leader's call with Putin.