Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has agreed with Vladimir Putin to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
The president said he was calling the Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky after hanging up from his “lengthy and highly productive” call with Putin.
“As we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine,” he wrote in a Truth Social post.
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“We both believe very strongly in it. We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations,” he added.
“We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelensky, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now.”
He said he was optimistic of an early breakthrough in the war that has been raging since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022. “I believe this effort will lead to a successful conclusion, hopefully soon!” he declared.
Trump said he has asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of the CIA John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Walt and Ambassador and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to lead the negotiations for the United States, adding that he “feels strongly, will be successful.
“Millions of people have died in a War that would not have happened if I were President, but it did happen, so it must end. No more lives should be lost!” he said in the post.
In the call with Putin, Trump said they also discussed the Middle East, AI, energy, and the “power of the dollar” among other subjects.
The two leaders also bonded over the “Great History of our Nations” and fighting on the same side in World War Two, “remembering, that Russia lost tens of millions of people, and we, likewise, lost so many!
“We each talked about the strengths of our respective Nations, and the great benefit that we will someday have in working together,” he continued.
“But first, ” he said, both leaders agreed to stop the deaths in Ukraine.
“President Putin even used my very strong Campaign motto of, “COMMON SENSE.” We both believe very strongly in it," Trump said.
The U.S. president also thanked Putin for releasing teacher Marc Fogel, an American teacher held in Russia since 2021 who flew home on Tuesday night.
