WASHINGTON (THE THURSDAY TIMES) — Donald Trump said on Thursday that he had held a “very productive” phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, describing it as a step toward ending the war in Ukraine.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Putin congratulated him and the United States on achieving “peace in the Middle East,” calling it a success that could guide future talks on Ukraine. Trump wrote that both sides agreed to explore ways of bringing what he called an “inglorious war” to an end.
Trump added that the two discussed humanitarian work and post-war trade, with Putin expressing appreciation to First Lady Melania Trump for her involvement with children.
He said both countries would send senior advisors to meet next week, led on the U.S. side by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to lay the groundwork for a direct presidential meeting in Budapest, Hungary.
“President Putin and I will then meet in an agreed-upon location, Budapest, to see if we can bring this war to an end,” Trump said, adding that he would discuss the call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on Friday.
The Kremlin has not released a detailed readout of the conversation, but Russian state media confirmed the two leaders spoke earlier in the day. European officials reacted cautiously, with diplomats in Brussels stressing the need to coordinate any new initiative through existing channels.
Trump said he believed “great progress” was made during the call, though it remains unclear whether the talks will lead to concrete steps toward peace or remain symbolic.∎
