The phone call between the U.S. and Russian presidents comes amid a fragile return to negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow and growing international pressure to end the war.
US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, held a phone conversation on Monday focused on the ongoing war in Ukraine, as the White House seeks to revive efforts for a cease-fire after more than three years of armed conflict.
According to the Russian state news agency TASS, Putin told Trump during the call that Moscow is willing to work with Kyiv on a memorandum outlining a future peace agreement.
The U.S. administration has not yet issued an official comment on the exchange.
The bilateral contact came just days after Ukrainian and Russian representatives met in Istanbul for the first time since 2022. While the meeting did not yield a cease-fire agreement, both sides agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each and left the door open for further talks.
Trump, who has repeatedly promised to end the war within 24 hours of returning to the presidency, called the Istanbul meeting a “positive step” and promptly announced plans to speak with Putin. He also stated he would soon contact Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO leaders to advance efforts toward a truce.
From Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the conversation with Trump as “important,” suggesting it could help open diplomatic channels. “We value Washington’s efforts. It is preferable to achieve our objectives through political and diplomatic means,” Peskov told state media.
Still, the immediate context remains one of violence. Over the weekend, Russia launched an attack that Kyiv described as the most intense since the beginning of the war—underscoring that military operations remain active despite diplomatic gestures.
The Trump administration views the conflict as a proxy war between the United States and Russia and believes that only direct engagement between leaders can break the stalemate. Speaking from Italy, Vice President J.D. Vance acknowledged the process is “in a holding pattern” and said President Trump is seeking to determine whether Putin is genuinely ready to negotiate.
“It takes two to tango. The president is willing, but if Russia is not, we’ll simply say this isn’t our war,” Vance said, after meeting with Trump just hours before the Kremlin call.
The last phone call between the two leaders occurred on March 18 and lasted more than two hours. Since returning to office, Trump and Putin have spoken twice amid mounting global pressure for a negotiated settlement.
Russia’s press secretary denied reports that an in-person summit between Trump and Putin is being planned, dismissing speculation of an imminent meeting. However, both sides have confirmed that communication channels remain open.
Ukraine, meanwhile, has reiterated its demand for a “total and unconditional” cease-fire. President Zelensky’s office insists that any solution must include the withdrawal of Russian troops and international guarantees.
The war, which began in February 2022 with Russia’s invasion, has caused tens of thousands of deaths, displaced millions, and deeply fractured relations between Moscow and the West. Monday’s call between Trump and Putin is seen as another attempt—though with no guaranteed outcome—to find a diplomatic exit from the conflict.
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