After Putin call Trump says Russia Ukraine talks to begin immediately

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said on May 19 that Russia and Ukraine “will immediately start negotiations” toward a ceasefire and an end to their three-year-old war, speaking after he held a call with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

“Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will begin immediately,” Mr Trump said in a Truth Social post following his call with Mr Putin, which lasted two hours.

After the call, Mr Putin said efforts to end the war were “generally on the right track” and that Moscow was ready to work with Ukraine on a potential peace deal.

“We have agreed with the president of the United States that Russia will propose and is ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum on a possible future peace accord,” Mr Putin told reporters near the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the statement that talks would begin immediately. A source familiar with the matter earlier said Mr Zelensky spoke “for a few minutes” with Mr Trump before the US leader’s call with Mr Putin.

Kyiv has said it is ready for a ceasefire now while Moscow has said conditions must be met first.

In his social media post, Mr Trump said the Vatican, “as represented by the Pope, has stated that it would be very interested in hosting the negotiations. Let the process begin!”

Mr Putin and Mr Trump spoke after direct talks last week in Turkey between Moscow and Kyiv, the first since 2022 in the early months of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Talks last week failed to agree on a truce.

US Vice-President J.D. Vance earlier repeated a warning that Washington could walk away from the peace process.

Mr Putin said the memorandum would define “a number of