President Donald Trump revealed that he recently spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine, the New York Post reported late Saturday.
During an interview aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump was asked how many times he had spoken with Putin. His response: “Better not say.”
“He (Putin) wants to see people stop dying,” Trump told the New York Post, signaling a potential diplomatic push to resolve the nearly three-year-long conflict.
Neither the White House nor the Kremlin has issued an official response to confirm the call. However, in January, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Putin was open to a phone conversation with Trump and was awaiting Washington’s readiness.
Talks with Zelensky Also Planned
Trump also disclosed that he expects to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky next week to discuss possible resolutions to the war.
The conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has claimed thousands of lives, most of them Ukrainian. The war’s third anniversary approaches on February 24.
Trump, who has long touted his ability to negotiate peace, claimed he has a “concrete plan” to end the war but declined to share details.
“I hope it’s fast,” Trump said. “Every day people are dying. This war is so bad in Ukraine. I want to end this damn thing.”
His remarks come as global attention remains focused on the prolonged war and its devastating impact on the region. Whether Trump’s reported discussions with Putin and Zelensky will lead to meaningful progress remains to be seen.
