The US president and Russian leader Vladimir Putin had a two-hour conversation late Monday and Trump softened his previous demand for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire which Ukraine backed that proposal while Russia did not.
Trump had threatened to impose more stringent sanctions on Russia in the weeks preceding the phone call if it failed to demonstrate progress toward peace. Ukraine anticipated would persuade Putin to retreat from his extreme demands in any discussions.
Ukraine and its European allies have come together since Monday’s call, unveiling new sanctions on Russia and pledging to maintain their collaboration with the United States.
However, there is significant skepticism towards Putin. With a larger military presence than Ukraine, his forces have been steadily making progress along a 1,000-km (620-mile) front line for over a year. Russia maintains that any agreement must take into account the current situation on the ground.
Following a conversation with Trump, Putin announced that Moscow is prepared to collaborate with Ukraine on a memorandum regarding a prospective peace agreement, asserting that the initiatives aimed at concluding the conflict initiated by Russia’s extensive invasion in February 2022 are progressing positively.
The backing from the U.S. has been crucial for Ukraine in avoiding defeat, and Trump’s shift away from the support provided by his predecessor Joe Biden has caused Kyiv to work hard to maintain his involvement.
