During his campaigns and subsequent accession into office, US President Donald Trump said he would end the Russo-Ukrainian war to an end in 24 hours.
About three months later, the most Trump has been able to do is to bring officials from both sides (Russia - Ukraine) to the negotiating table.
After the talks held in Istanbul, Turkiye, Trump also had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a call that lasted at least two hours.
He then moved to brief Ukraine’s Zelensky in a joint call with European Union leaders, who have proved to be stronger allies of Ukraine.
After the call, Trump said the two countries would immediately start negotiations towards a ceasefire and an end to the war.
He described the tone of the conversation with Putin as excellent.
“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," Trump said.
“Russia wants to do large-scale trade with the United States when this catastrophic 'bloodbath' is over, and I agree. 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 of Trade, in the process of rebuilding its Country."
The US President said that he had also informed Presidents Zelenskyy,
Ursula von der Leyen (EU President), Emmanuel Macron (France), Giorgia Meloni (Italy
PM), Chancellor Friedrich Merz (Germany) and Alexander Stubb (Finland).
Russia’s Putin described a call conversation with Trump as
candid and productive, adding that while the United States shared his position
on the cessation of hostilities and the prospects for a ceasefire, he also reaffirmed
that Russia also supports a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis.
He said what was needed was to identify the most effective
ways towards achieving peace.
“We agreed with the President of the United States that Russia would propose and is ready to engage with the Ukrainian side on drafting a memorandum regarding a potential future peace agreement," Putin said.
“This would include outlining a range of provisions, such as
the principles for settlement, the timeframe for a possible peace deal, and
other matters, including a potential temporary ceasefire, should the necessary
agreements be reached."
Putin reiterated the need to eliminate the root cause of the
war in Ukraine.
“The key issue, of course, is now for the Russian side and
the Ukrainian side to show their firm commitment to peace and to forge a
compromise that would be acceptable to all parties… Russia’s position is clear.
Eliminating the root causes of this crisis is what matters most to us.”
Ukraine’s Zelensky, on his part, termed the circle of talks a
defining moment.
“The world can now see whether its leaders are truly capable
of securing a ceasefire and achieving real, lasting peace.”
He noted that in his call with Trump, he reaffirmed that
Ukraine is ready for a full and unconditional ceasefire.
He, however, called for stronger sanctions if Russia is not
ready to stop attacks on Ukraine.
“Pressure on Russia will push it toward real peace – this is
obvious to everyone around the world,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian President added that his country is ready for
direct talks, where it will be proposed.
“Together with European leaders, we also discussed possible
next steps – in particular, meetings between negotiators and an objective
assessment of each side’s proposals. Every proposal at the table deserves an
honest evaluation; that’s why the negotiation process must involve both
American and European representatives at the appropriate level.”
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine started in February 2022, and efforts to find a peaceful solution continue to date.
