In a dramatic announcement following a two-hour phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump stated that Russia and Ukraine will "immediately" begin ceasefire negotiations.
Taking to his Truth Social platform shortly after the call, President Trump described the conversation with Putin as having gone “very well” and said the talks marked a “significant step towards ending the war.” He emphasized that the details of the ceasefire agreement would be worked out directly between Russia and Ukraine. “They know the details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of,” Trump noted.
According to Trump’s post on Truth Social, the bilateral negotiations were communicated to key international leaders in a follow-up conference call that included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
In a noteworthy diplomatic development, Trump also revealed that the Vatican, under the auspices of Pope Francis, has expressed interest in hosting the upcoming talks.
“The tone and spirit of the conversation [with Putin] were excellent,” Trump said, offering rare praise for the Russian leader amid years of strained U.S.-Russia relations.
Trump Pushes Trade Agenda Amid Diplomacy
The announcement also reflected President Trump's broader strategy of tying economic incentives to geopolitical resolution. Reiterating his long-standing belief in leveraging trade to achieve foreign policy goals, Trump said Russia is eager to resume large-scale trade with the United States once the war concludes.
“This catastrophic bloodbath must end,” Trump wrote, adding that renewed trade could help Russia “create massive amounts of jobs and wealth” in a country heavily burdened by war expenditures and sanctions.
He also pointed to Ukraine as a potential “great beneficiary” of future trade deals, especially in the context of postwar reconstruction.
Trump, who has repeatedly said that “nobody uses trade the way I do,” appears poised to place economic diplomacy at the center of both peace efforts and future U.S. foreign policy.
While no official timeline for the ceasefire talks has been provided, the announcement marks one of the most significant developments in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and signals a potential turning point in international efforts to end the war.
