Trump and Putin keep phone calls, but Kremlin refuses Ukraine ceasefire | Russia

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump have held a rare call, which the US leader described as “excellent”, but the Kremlin refused to agree with Washington and European allies in the war against Ukraine.

After the two -hour conversation on Monday, Putin spoke to reporters in Sochi and described the call as “very useful and Franzig” and said that he was ready to work with Ukraine to work out a memorandum for future peace talks.

However, the Russian leader rejected the 30-day, unconditional ceasefire, which Ukraine had already agreed-and Washington framed as the main goal of the call.

The Russian leader also suggested that the maximum of his country remained unchanged with Ukraine in the war.

In contrast, Trump offered a much more positive shoot and said in a post in his social network of truth that the conversations were “very good”.

“The tone and the spirit of the conversation were excellent … Russia and Ukraine will immediately negotiate a ceasefire and, which is even more important, an end to war,” he wrote, suggesting that the Vatican should organize future Russia-Ukraine negotiations.

Trump's statement after the call with Putin also suggested.

And beyond Trump's optimistic rhetoric, no breakthrough appears in sight.

Although Trump previously called for an immediate ceasefire and the support of Europe's ultimatum for Russia to hire hostilities, it now seems to reduce the pressure on Moscow again. The US leader did not mention his earlier threats to force Russia sanctions if it did not agree to hire the fights.

Moscow has consistently rejected the ceasefire suggestions and argues that they would give Ukraine time to repeat themselves and to group again at one time.

On Monday Putin claimed that Russia hired the hostility, but insisted on “identifying the most effective ways to peace”.

It was crucial that Putin repeated his long -term chorus that the “basic causes” of the war had to be addressed: a reference to the far -reaching demands of Russia, which would greatly undermine the sovereignty of Ukraine.

One of these demands is to force Ukraine into “denazify” and demilitacicians to reduce their armed forces, to prevent them from maintaining western military support, and imposes extensive boundaries of sovereignty.

Since the election of Trump, the Russian guide has been involved in a sensitive balancing act with the US President and seemed to support peace talks to stay for Trump while he is pushing towards terms that actually are surrounded by Ukraine.

In an obvious show of trust and stringing, Putin took the call to Trump on Monday when he toured a music school in Sochi.

His bravery is fueled by the slow but constant battlefield profits of Russia, the disruptive reaction of Europe and a domestic economy, which has been increasingly adapted for a longer war.

Trump said that after calling Putin with Zelenskyy and a series of leading European leaders.

In a statement on the late Monday, Zelenskyy insisted that Ukraine was ready for a complete ceasefire and direct negotiations with Moscow, but said: “If the Russians are not ready to stop the murders, there must be stronger sanctions. There will be pressure on Russia in the direction of real peace.”

He added: “If Putin presents unrealistic demands, this will mean that Russia continues to pull the war out, and deserves that Europe, America and the world act accordingly, including further sanctions. Russia has to end war and it can start every day.”

Zelenskyy also rejected Russia's demands to withdraw his troops from the Donetsk, Lugansk, Khanson and Zaporizhzhia troops, but does not fully control Russia.

“Nobody will withdraw our troops from our territories,” he told reporters.

The Ukrainian leader also asked the United States not to distance himself from the conversations and striving for peace.

“The only one who benefits from it is Putin,” he said.

The flood of diplomatic activities on Monday came in Istanbul days after the first meeting between Russian and Ukrainian delegations. These conversations collapsed after Russia had asked for more territory as a condition for the disturbance of the fights.

One day after the delegations had met, Trump said that he would talk to Putin by phone to end the “bloodbath” in Ukraine. The US leader also announced that “nothing will happen” in the peace talks until he hits Putin.

But Putin and Trump were silent about the view of a meeting on Monday.

Despite Putin's further refusal to agree to a temporary ceasefire, the US leader has stopped criticizing him directly – even as a growing consensus in Washington, the Russian President sees the main obstacle to progress in peace talks.

As in previous calls, Putin seemed to maintain a personal relationship with Trump and congratulate the US leader on the birth of his 11th grandson, said Putin's top foreign policy consultant Yuri Ushakov.

Putin has publicly praised Trump several times and flattered him as “brave” after the attack of 2024 in a campaign rally. He also claimed to have prayed for “his friend” after Trump was grazed by a ball.

According to Ushakov, Trump Putin said during the call: “Vladimir, you can pick up the phone at any time. I will be happy to answer and like to speak to you.”

Before calling between the two leaders, US Vice President JD Vance said that Trump would urge Putin about whether he was to end the war.

“We realize that there is a bit of a dead end here. And I think the president will say to President Putin:” Look, are you serious? Is that real about it? “, Said Vance when he was preparing to leave Italy.

“I honestly think that President Putin doesn't know exactly how to get out of the war,” said Vance, adding that he had just spoken to Trump.

Vance said Trump Putin could offer economic incentives to meet Ukraine for peace in return.

But the Vice President also has triggered the prospect of the USA-a scenario, which will unsettle European allies and open up doubts about the willingness of America to continue to provide military and economic aid to Ukraine.

Vance said: “It takes two to Tango. I know that the president is ready to do this, but if Russia is not ready, we will only say that this is not our war.

“We will try to end it, but if we can't end it, we will say at some point:” Do you know what? It was worth a try, but we don't do anymore. “

Fearing that Trump could complete a deal with the Kremlin at the expense of Ukraine, the European leaders hurried on Sunday to influence his thinking before the conversations.

British Prime Minister Keir Starrer said that on Sunday evening he had talks with the leaders of the United States, Italy, France and Germany to coordinate the efforts, put Russia under pressure to accept an unconditional ceasefire.

The German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a statement: “Putin has to prove that he wants to peace by accepting the 30-day unconditional ceasefire.”