Trump seeks swift Ukraine war end, restored US-Russia ties

On Tuesday, Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone, expressing his desire for a swift conclusion to the war in Ukraine, which he believed would lead to the full restoration of US-Russia relations, according to the Kremlin. The hour-long call followed a weekend visit to Moscow and Kyiv by US envoys Steve Wittkoff and Jared Kushner, who are attempting to revive stalled negotiations aimed at ending the conflict.

Although their diplomatic efforts did not yield an immediate breakthrough, they did suggest the potential resumption of three-way talks involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov stated that Putin and Trump rated the envoys' weekend diplomacy positively, with Putin informing Trump about what the United States could do to aid in conflict resolution and providing him with an assessment of the battlefield situation.

Trump emphasized the urgent need to end the war, stating that it would create significant opportunities for the restoration of relations between the US and Russia, particularly in terms of trade and economic ties. Both Putin and Trump agreed on the necessity of prisoner exchanges and agreed to maintain communication via phone if the situation required it.

Ushakov confirmed that the conversation was constructive and that Putin reassured Trump that Russia had no hostile intentions towards Europe, countering the claims of aggressive intentions made by various European politicians.