ALBAWABA - The former president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced that he had a phone call with Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, just before his meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, in Florida. This comes as diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine are ramping up.
Trump called the call "productive." He said it happened just hours before his scheduled talks with Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The meeting is likely to center on the latest U.S.-led peace proposal, which aims to bring an end to the conflict that began with Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russian media confirmed the call, and Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, acknowledged the conversation, though he didn't give any details about what was said.
Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, stated that Moscow is still willing to collaborate with U.S. negotiators to secure what he described as a durable agreement, one that tackles the root causes of the ongoing conflict. He further claimed that European nations and the European Union have become the primary hindrance to achieving peace since the shift in U.S. leadership.
Ukrainian officials indicated that Zelensky and Trump are also slated to participate in a joint call with European leaders during their upcoming meeting in Florida, highlighting the wider international engagement in the diplomatic efforts.
This surge of diplomatic activity occurs alongside renewed global attempts to restart negotiations, despite the persistent fighting and the presence of significant unresolved issues.
