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Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump have held a rare phone call, which the US leader described as “excellent,” but the Kremlin refused to agree to a ceasefire in the war with Ukraine, despite pressure from Washington and European allies.
Speaking to reporters in Sochi after the two-hour conversation on Monday, Putin described the call as “very meaningful and frank,” and said he was prepared to work with Ukraine on drafting a memorandum for future peace talks.
However, the Russian leader declined to support the US-proposed 30-day unconditional ceasefire, which Ukraine had already agreed to – and which Washington had framed as the call’s primary objective.
The Russian leader also suggested that his country’s maximalist objectives in the war with Ukraine remain unchanged.
In contrast, Trump offered a far more positive spin, saying in a post on his Truth Social network that the talks went “very well.”
“The tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent … Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War,” he wrote, suggesting that the Vatican should host future Russia-Ukraine negotiations.
But beyond Trump’s optimistic rhetoric, no breakthrough appears in sight.
Despite previously demanding an immediate ceasefire and backing Europe’s ultimatum for Russia to halt hostilities, Trump now appears to be once again easing off pressure on Moscow.
Moscow has consistently rejected extended ceasefire proposals, arguing they would give Ukraine time to rearm and regroup at a time Russian forces are making battlefield advances.
On Monday, Putin claimed Russia supported a halt to hostilities, but insisted it was necessary to “identify the most effective paths toward peace.”
Crucially, Putin repeated his longstanding refrain that the “root causes” of the war must be addressed: a reference to Russia’s far-reaching demands that would severely undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty.
These demands include forcing Ukraine to “denazify” and demilitarise, cutting back its armed forces, barring it from receiving western military support, and imposing sweeping limits on its sovereignty.
Ever since Trump’s election, the Russian leader has been engaged in a delicate balancing act with the US president, appearing to support peace talks to stay in Trump’s favour, while pushing for terms that in effect amount to Ukraine’s capitulation.
In an apparent show of confidence and nonchalance, Putin took the call with Trump on Monday while touring a music school in Sochi.
His bravado is fueled by Russia’s slow but steady battlefield gains, Europe’s disjointed response, and a domestic economy increasingly adapted for a prolonged war.
Trump said that he spoke with Zelenskyy and a number of leading European leaders after his call with Putin.
The string of diplomatic activity on Monday came days after the first meeting between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in three years, held in Istanbul. Those talks broke down after Russia demanded more territory as a condition for halting the fighting.
A day after the delegations met, Trump said that he would speak by phone with Putin to end the “bloodbath” in Ukraine. The US leader also proclaimed that “nothing will happen” on the peace talks until he meets Putin.
But Putin and Trump remained silent on the prospect of a meeting on Monday.
Trump’s statement after the call with Putin suggested the US would now urge both sides to resolve the conflict among themselves, despite his earlier claim that he could end the war in a single day.
Despite Putin’s continued refusal to agree to a temporary ceasefire, the US leader has stopped short of directly criticising him – even as a growing consensus in Washington sees the Russian president as the main obstacle to progress in the peace talks.
As in previous calls, Putin appeared to cultivate a personal rapport with Trump, congratulating the US leader on the birth of his 11th grandson, according to Putin’s top foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov.
Putin has publicly praised Trump on several occasions, flattering him as “courageous” in the wake of the 2024 assassination attempt at a campaign rally. He also claimed to have prayed for “his friend” after Trump was grazed by a bullet.
According to Ushakov, Trump told Putin during the call: “Vladimir, you can pick up the phone anytime. I’ll be happy to answer and happy to talk with you.”
Speaking ahead of the call between the two leaders, the US vice-president JD Vance said Trump would press Putin on whether he was “serious” about ending the war.
“We realise there’s a bit of an impasse here. And I think the president’s going to say to President Putin: ‘Look, are you serious? Are you real about this?’” Vance said as he prepared to depart from Italy.
“I think honestly that President Putin, he doesn’t quite know how to get out of the war,” Vance said, adding that he had just spoken to Trump.
Vance said that Trump may offer Putin economic incentives to accept some honours on Ukraine in return for peace.
But the vice-president also raised the prospect of the US walking away from the talks – a scenario that will unsettle European allies and raise doubts about America’s willingness to keep providing military and economic aid to Ukraine.
Vance said that it, “takes two to tango. I know the president’s willing to do that, but if Russia is not willing to do that, then we’re eventually just going to say, this is not our war.
“We’re going to try to end it, but if we can’t end it, we’re eventually going to say: ‘You know what? That was worth a try, but we’re not doing any more.’”
Fearing that Trump might strike a deal with the Kremlin at Ukraine’s expense, European leaders rushed on Sunday to sway his thinking ahead of the talks.
British prime minister Keir Starmer said he held talks with the leaders of the US, Italy, France and Germany on Sunday evening to coordinate efforts to pressure Russia into accepting an unconditional ceasefire, warning that new sanctions could be imposed if Moscow refuses to engage seriously.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a statement: “Putin must show he wants peace by accepting the 30-day unconditional ceasefire.”
