President Trump and President Putin Discussed Ukraine War in a Phone Call

What Happened?

On Tuesday U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone to discuss the war in Ukraine and how to end it. 

Although the details of the call haven’t been made public, the call marked the first time the two had spoken directly since the start of President Trump’s second term.

The call began at 10 in the morning eastern standard time and lasted over two hours. 

In a public statement President Trump said the content of the call included “power plants and dividing up Ukrainian assets.” 

Why it Matters

The call comes on the heels of a series of talks in Saudi Arabia which included the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian President’s chief of staff, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. 

Following hours of discussions, the U.S. and Ukraine issued a joint statement that Ukraine would support a thirty-day cease fire with Russia. 

Despite the call to President Trump, President Putin hasn’t curtailed combat operations in Ukraine nor given any indication he plans to do so anytime soon. 

To the contrary, Russian military activities appear to have increased since the talks in Saudi Arabia. President Putin said any peace agreement must address the root cause of the war and a pledge from Ukraine not to join NATO.

On the ground in Ukraine, the state of the war remains much as it has for the past two years, with Russian forces controlling twenty percent of the eastern most portions of Ukraine. The two sides are close to stalemate, with neither side able to dislodge the other or take territory they can hold for long.

Ukrainian President Zelensky has accused Russia of stalling the peace negotiations while Russian forces attempt to make further advances on the battlefield. The pattern of Russian activity since Ukraine agreed to the thirty days cease fire supports that accusation. 

Since 2013 when fighting began in the Donbas region of Ukraine there have been several ceasefires and agreements, including the Mink Accords. While many of those brought temporary halts to combat none of them lasted more than a few months. 

With troops still on the battlefield in visual firing range of one another, there will be many opportunities to break any potential peace deal even if it gets signed.

Ukranians seem to want the war to end, but not on terms favorable to Russia. If President Putin pushes for too many concessions from Ukraine, the fighting will likely continue.

How it Affects You

With Russia, Ukraine, the U.S., and Europe all looking for a way to end the war, the chances of a peace deal have increased. 

Whether any agreement is reached will depend on how many territorial concessions Ukraine is willing to make, which will also determine how long a peace deal may last.

Terms too harsh to Ukraine may well serve as a rallying cry for Ukrainians to reignite the war after an agreement has been reached.