US President Donald Trump said he held a two-hour call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday (May 19), after which both leaders reportedly agreed to support immediate negotiations with Ukraine to end the ongoing war.

“Just completed my two hour call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. I believe it went very well,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

Ceasefire and end to war

According to Trump, Russia and Ukraine are set to begin talks aimed at establishing a ceasefire and ultimately ending the conflict that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

“Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War,” Trump said.

He emphasised that the specifics of any agreement would be worked out directly by Moscow and Kyiv.

“The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of.”

“Excellent” tone and spirit

Trump described the tone of his conversation with Putin as “excellent,” stating that he would have said otherwise if it had not been.

“The tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent. If it wasn’t, I would say so now, rather than later.”

Trade incentives with Russia and Ukraine

Trump also pointed to the possibility of future economic cooperation between the US and both Russia and Ukraine, particularly once the war ends.

“Russia wants to do largescale TRADE with the United States when this catastrophic ‘bloodbath’ is over, and I agree.”

He added that both nations could see significant economic benefits from peace.

“There is a tremendous opportunity for Russia to create massive amounts of jobs and wealth. Its potential is UNLIMITED. Likewise, Ukraine can be a great beneficiary on Trade, in the process of rebuilding its Country.”

Outreach to global leaders

Trump stated that he informed several key international leaders of the developments immediately after speaking with Putin. These 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.

Vatican offers to host talks

He also noted that the Vatican, represented by Pope Francis, had expressed interest in hosting the negotiations.

“The Vatican, as represented by the Pope, has stated that it would be very interested in hosting the negotiations. Let the process begin!”