Trump and Putin agree to start negotiations on ending Ukraine war

US president Donald Trump on Wednesday, February 12, announced that he and Russian president Vladimir Putin have agreed to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, following what he described as a “lengthy and highly productive” phone conversation.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Trump detailed the discussion, saying the two leaders covered a range of topics, including Ukraine, the Middle East, energy, artificial intelligence, and the US dollar. He also reflected on historical ties between the two nations, particularly their cooperation during World War II.

“But first, as we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the war with Russia/Ukraine,” Trump stated, adding that Putin even referenced his campaign motto, “COMMON SENSE.”

Trump said both sides would work closely together and had agreed to initiate negotiations immediately. He also stated that he planned to inform Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the conversation.

According to Trump, secretary of state Marco Rubio, CIA director John Ratcliffe, national security adviser Michael Waltz, and special envoy Steve Witkoff would lead the negotiations.

“Millions of people have died in a war that would not have happened if I were president, but it did happen, so it must end. No more lives should be lost!” he declared.

The announcement follows a prisoner exchange in which Russia released American schoolteacher Marc Fogel after more than three years in detention. The swap also involved the release of Russian national Alexander Vinnik, a convicted cybercriminal, according to US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Putin invites Trump to Moscow

Following the call, the Kremlin confirmed that Putin invited Trump to Moscow for further discussions on Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the two leaders also discussed broader US-Russia relations, the Middle East, and the prisoner exchange.

“The Russian president invited the US president to visit Moscow and expressed his readiness to receive American officials in Russia in those areas of mutual interest, including, of course, the topic of the Ukrainian settlement,” Peskov was quoted as saying by state news agency TASS.

Peskov added that Putin and Trump agreed to maintain personal contact and arrange a face-to-face meeting, though no date or location has been announced.