Big egos involved. But I think something will happen, and if it doesn't, I'll just step aside and let them continue, says Donald Trump to reporters at the White House, hours after his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to AP.
The phone call, which lasted for two hours, was described by Trump as "very good". He also claimed, in a post on his platform, that Russia and Ukraine "will immediately start talks towards a ceasefire and, what is more important, an END to the war".
No Timeframe
But Trump and Putin did not discuss any potential timeframe or deadline for when Russia might consider starting a ceasefire, emphasized Kremlin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov following the call.
No, they did not discuss that at all, even though Trump naturally emphasized his interest in reaching an agreement as soon as possible, says Ushakov.
We are primarily interested in a quick solution that eliminates the root of the conflict, says Kremlin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov further, according to state-controlled news agency Tass.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, who spoke with Trump both before and after his call with Putin, said at a press conference on Monday evening that he wants to take a closer look at the Russians' proposal:
Once we have received their memo with proposals, we will be able to formulate our vision based on that.
Met in Istanbul
Representatives of Ukraine and Russia were seen in Istanbul last week for the first direct talks between the countries in over three years. The negotiations were at a lower level after Zelensky challenged Putin to a personal meeting in Turkey – which Russia's president did not show up for.
Ukraine and its European partners want to see an unconditional ceasefire for at least 30 days, a demand that the US has also backed.
Trump and Putin also spoke on the phone in March, but they have not met in person since Trump's first term in the White House.
