Did Trump and Putin Have a 'Candid and Very Constructive' Conversation?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Trump and Putin had a constructive phone call.
- Discussions focused on the Ukraine crisis and peace negotiations.
- The call was initiated by Trump.
- Close contact on pressing international issues was agreed upon.
- Security guarantees for Ukraine were discussed during the meeting.
Moscow, Aug 19 (NationPress) - US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin engaged in a "candid and very constructive phone call" on Monday, according to a senior aide from the Kremlin.
Trump interrupted a meeting at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders to converse with Putin, as reported by sources to CNN.
During the nearly 40-minute call, Putin's foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov mentioned that Trump updated Putin on his discussions with the European leaders.
The Russian president expressed his support for direct negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations, Ushakov stated.
According to the Russian news agency Tass, the call was initiated by Trump.
Post-meeting, Trump announced that he was organizing a meeting between Putin and Zelensky.
They also talked about the potential to elevate the level of representation from both Moscow and Kyiv during their discussions, though Ushakov did not confirm whether Putin agreed to a bilateral or trilateral meeting.
Ushakov added that Putin expressed gratitude to Trump for hosting him during his visit to Alaska.
Both leaders agreed to keep close contact on critical issues, particularly the ongoing situation in Ukraine, Ushakov noted in a press briefing.
Earlier that day, Trump convened a meeting at the White House with Zelensky and several European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Trump remarked on Monday that reaching a peace agreement did not necessitate a ceasefire in Ukraine, asserting that ongoing hostilities should not hinder negotiations.
He noted that security guarantees for Ukraine were a topic of discussion during his meeting at the White House with Zelensky and the European leaders.
Trump stated, "During the meeting, we discussed security guarantees for Ukraine, which would be provided by various European countries in coordination with the United States of America," on his Truth Social platform.
He concluded with, "Everyone is very happy about the possibility of peace for Russia/Ukraine."