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Trump holds 2-hour call to Putin before he talked to Ukraine-Zelenskyy

Trump holds 2-hour call to Putin before he talked to Ukraine-Zelenskyy

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President Trump said the tone and spirit of his two -hour call with the Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday War in Ukraine were “excellent”, and Russia and Ukraine “would immediately start negotiations on an armistice”.

Mr. Trump spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr ZelenskyyThe Ukrainian president said in a social media contribution, and Zelenskyy was also on the phone with the NATO leaders according to Mr. Trump's call with Putin, although the White House has not yet published any details of this conversation.

The president also indicated that Pope Leo XIV expressed interest in the orientation of the negotiations and told the report on Monday afternoon that he thinks “some progress was made”. When asked if he believes Putin wants peace, Trump said: “I do” and asked if he trusted Putin and replied: “I do it.”

But Putin has hardly given any signs that he strives for after a ceasefire or an end of the war he started. Mr. Trump warned that the United States could still get trials to negotiate an end to the war.

“I tell you very large egos,” Mr. Trump told reporters on Monday afternoon. “Great egos involved. But I think something will happen. And if that doesn't, I'm just back and you have to go on. Again, this was a European situation.”

“I said: 'It's time, you have to stop this thing.' And I think he wants to stop, “said Mr. Trump and added that he could see if Putin wanted to stop.

At an event on Monday evening, Mr. Trump said: “We had a good conversation and I think that progress will be made.”

In an explanation, Mr. Trump also said that Russia wants to “do a great trade with the United States if this catastrophic” bloodbath “is over, and” there is an enormous opportunity for Russia to create massive amounts of jobs and prosperity. ”

After calling for the possibility of imposing secondary sanctions, the press spokesman for the White House, Karoline Leavitt, said everything on the table, although the president did not mention sanctions in his explanation.

After his call to Mr. Trump and NATO, Zelenskyy made a long explanation on social media and said that if Russia is not willing to stop the murders, there must be stronger sanctions. He also asked the United States not to move away from Ukraine and the talks.

“It is crucial for all of us that the United States does not distance themselves from the conversations and striving for peace, because the only one who benefits from it is Putin,” wrote Zelenskyy and added that “Ukraine was always ready for peace”.

Foreign Minister Marco Rubio started Mr. Trump's call with Putin, said the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Tammy Bruce. Said Rubio in one Interview that was broadcast on Sunday On “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that a breakthrough could only be possible if Mr. Trump and Putin had a direct conversation.

Mr. Trump and Putin have recently spoken in March.

On Saturday, Mr. Trump said he and Putin would discuss the “bloodbath” in Ukraine. In Rome, Vice President JD Vance met with Zelenskyy on Sunday in her first conversation about face to face since her explosive Oval Office meeting in February.

Vance informed the reporters on Monday that he spoke to Mr. Trump before calling and thought that the President would say Putin that “there would be economic advantages for the thawing of relationships between Russia and the rest of the world, but they will not get these advantages”.

Vance said that Putin would urge Putin on the death of innocent people caused by Russians and tell him: “If you are ready to stop the killing, the United States are ready to be a partner for peace.”

On Friday, Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, which were visited by the Messenger of the White House Steve Wikoff, carried out delegation talks at a lower level. The talks in Istanbul dissolved after less than two hours, although both sides approved 1,000 prisoners of war according to official delegations.

Kathryn Watson

Kathryn Watson is a political reporter of CBS News Digital based in Washington, DC

Camilla Schick contributed to this report.

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