Trump to Putin: stop the bloodbath in Ukraine now
Two-hour phone call. The American president optimistic: 'It went very well, Kiev and Moscow will start ceasefire negotiations immediately. But the Russian leader holds back
3' min read
3' min read
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin spoke for over two hours. A long conversation that Trump described with words of optimism, evoking chances for diplomatic breakthroughs in the conflict in Ukraine: the phone call, he said, 'went very well'. So much so that Kiev and Moscow will 'immediately begin negotiations towards a ceasefire and, more importantly, to end the war'. He exclaimed on social media, "Let the process begin!".
Optimism - and the true readiness of the Kremlin - will soon be put to the test. What is certain is that they have not led to truces without delay, nor to clear Kremlin retreats. The conditions for an understanding, Trump admitted, will be 'negotiated between the two sides, as they need to be' because they 'know details that no one else would know'. He cited the Vatican's 'great interest' in hosting possible negotiations, a hypothesis already advanced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Putin for his part seemed much more cautious in his official stances. He called the exchange of ideas with Trump "frank" and "useful". He said he is 'ready to work with his Ukrainian counterpart on a memorandum on a possible future peace agreement' A memorandum that would include founding 'principles' of a peace and a possible ceasefire 'for a certain period of time, if the relevant agreements are reached'. He added that 'contacts in Istanbul have resumed and give us reason to believe that we are on the right path' and that Moscow is ready to discuss unspecified 'compromises'. Ukrainian and Russian delegations have been holding their first face-to-face talks in Turkey for three years.
Putin made it clear, however, that we must 'identify the most effective ways to move towards peace'. And reiterated Moscow's traditional claims: a peace must 'remove the root causes of the crisis'. The reference appears to be to Moscow's strategic ambitions to control the territory and politics of Ukraine. In the last few days, Moscow has also intensified the bombing of cities in the country it has invaded.
Diplomatic manoeuvres, amidst the unknowns, have certainly intensified. In addition to Putin, Trump spoke with Kiev leader Volodymyr Zelensky and with European and NATO capitals.
