Trump plans first post-briefing call with Putin on Ukraine peace talks, sources report

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to contact Russian leader Vladimir Putin as his first call following a briefing on potential Ukraine peace negotiations, according to sources cited by The Kyiv Independent. The move signals Trump's intention to engage directly with Moscow in early discussions on any possible settlement framework.

The reported plan underscores Trump's stated priority to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict quickly, a central campaign pledge during his 2024 presidential campaign. Trump has repeatedly indicated his desire to negotiate a resolution to the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. By positioning Putin as the first direct contact after receiving a peace talks briefing, Trump appears to be signaling Moscow's centrality to any negotiation process.

The approach reflects a diplomatic strategy focused on engaging major parties directly, though it raises questions among Ukrainian officials and Western allies about how such talks might proceed and what framework could satisfy both Ukraine's sovereignty concerns and Russia's stated positions. Nагадаємо, previous peace efforts, including talks in Belarus and Turkey during 2022, have stalled over fundamental disagreements regarding territorial integrity, security guarantees, and the scope of Russian withdrawal from Ukrainian territory. Trump's incoming administration will inherit a conflict that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties and displaced millions of Ukrainians, making the diplomatic approach a high-stakes undertaking with implications for regional security and the broader Western alliance system.