Topline
President Donald Trump said in a social media post he had a “lengthy and highly productive phone call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia,” during which they discussed the mutual desire to end Russia’s war with Ukraine and plans to potentially meet, which he reiterated in White House comments Wednesday afternoon.
President Donald Trump arrives to greet Marc Fogel at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in … [+]
Key Facts
Trump said in the post on Truth Social—which came just before noon EST—he “asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of the CIA John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Ambassador and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff” to lead negotiations to end the war.
The president also implied the U.S. will work with Russia on other issues, saying while ending the Ukraine-Russia war is a priority, “we each talked about the strengths of our respective Nations, and the great benefit that we will someday have in working together.”
The Kremlin confirmed Trump’s call to The New York Times, saying it lasted about an hour and a half and that Putin invited Trump to visit Moscow.
The Wednesday call is the first known conversation between the two leaders since Trump took office less than a month ago.
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you’ll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.
When Will Trump And Putin Meet?
It’s unclear. In his Wednesday morning post, Trump said the two agreed to visit “each other’s Nations,” and said from the Oval Office on Wednesday afternoon that “we expect that he’ll come here and I’ll go there.” Trump said the pair would likely meet first in Saudi Arabia. On Thursday, the Kremlin’s top spokesperson, Dmitri Peskov, told reporters that the meeting will likely happen “fairly quickly,” but said it was too early to discuss a specific date. Peskov also confirmed that Moscow has started building a group of negotiators who will engage with the U.S. on the matter. “As soon as the president makes the relevant decisions, we will inform you,” the spokesperson added.
What Did Trump Say To Volodymyr Zelensky?
Trump said in the post he and Putin agreed their teams had to “start negotiations immediately,” which he said would begin by informing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of their conversation. A little more than an hour after Trump posted about talking to Putin, he said in a new post he had called Zelensky and “the conversation went very well.” He said they discussed war, achieving peace and a meeting on Friday in Munich that will be led by Vice President JD Vance and Rubio. Zelensky made his own post about the call on X, formerly known as Twitter, and said the two “discussed our readiness to work together at the team level” and Trump’s conversation with Putin. “No one wants peace more than Ukraine. Together with the U.S., we are charting our next steps to stop Russian aggression and ensure a lasting, reliable peace,” Zelensky wrote.
Big Number
Nearly 3. That’s about how many years it had been since former President Joe Biden had spoken to Putin, according to CNN, which first reported the call.
What Did Pete Hegseth Say About Russia And Ukraine?
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said earlier Wednesday that the U.S. doesn’t believe Ukraine will join NATO, and that negotiating Ukraine’s borders to be restored to what they were before 2014 is “unrealistic,” and chasing that goal “will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.” Hegseth also said the U.S. will no longer prioritize security in Europe or Ukraine, noting the U.S. faces “consequential threats to our homelands” as officials “[focus]
on securing our own borders.”
What Did Trump Say About Ukraine And Nato?
Trump echoed Hegseth’s comments on Wednesday, saying he doesn’t think “its practical” for Ukraine to have NATO membership. “I’m okay with that … it certainly would seem to be that most people have said that that is something that’s not going to happen,” Trump said from the Oval Office.
Key Background
When running for office, Trump repeatedly said if elected he could end the war between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours of his presidency. He also suggested the war—which started when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022—would not have begun had he still been president. There were reports that Trump spoke to Putin shortly after Election Day and advised him not to escalate the war, indicating he would support a peace deal where Russia could control the territory it has captured. Shortly after Trump took office, though, he blamed Putin for not yet ending the war, saying “Ukraine is ready to make a deal.” Trump has also threatened sanctions against Russia if the war with Ukraine doesn’t end soon, saying in late January he would have no choice but to impose “high levels” of taxes, tariffs and sanctions on “anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.”
Tangent
Trump’s call with Putin came one day after Russia released Marc Fogel, an American schoolteacher who was wrongfully detained in Russia for bringing medical marijuana to Russia in August 2021. Fogel returned to the U.S. and was greeted by Trump on Tuesday night, and Trump thanked Putin for Fogel’s release in the Truth Social post.
Further Reading
Russia Releases American Marc Fogel As Trump Administration Pushes For End To Ukraine War (Forbes)
Zelensky Warns Putin Is Not ‘Preparing For Peace’—Russia Strikes Kyiv After Trump Talks Progress On Ending Ukraine War (Forbes)
Trump spoke with Putin Wednesday morning (CNN)
