Russian President Vladimir Putin had a nearly two-hour phone conversation with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskow. The call focused on the solution to the Middle East conflict, bilateral relations between Russia and the US and the Ukraine conflict, Peskow said.
Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to speak with Putin, particularly regarding the Ukraine conflict and has emphasized the importance of ending the war. Putin, in turn, emphasized the need to address the root causes of the conflict and agreed with Trump that a long-term solution could be achieved through negotiations.
Trump stated that the two leaders had agreed to work closely together and for their respective teams to begin immediate negotiations. He also announced that he would be calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to inform him of the conversation’s content.
Putin expressed support for Trump’s call to cooperate and the two leaders agreed to organize a personal meeting, with Putin inviting Trump to visit Moscow. The Russian president also expressed his willingness to receive US officials in Russia to discuss the Ukraine conflict.
Other topics discussed during the call included the Middle East and Iran’s nuclear program. The conversation also touched on bilateral economic relations between Russia and the US, as well as the exchange of imprisoned citizens, with Trump expressing gratitude to Putin for the release of US citizen Mark Vogel. Further information is expected to be released soon.