President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday about a proposed peace agreement with Ukraine. President Trump has expressed optimism about persuading Putin to accept the deal, though skepticism remains, particularly from Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The call got underway at 10 a.m. and was still ongoing as of 10:54 a.m., according to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino.
"The call is going well," Scavino said. Scavino provided a second update 40 minutes later saying the call was still ongoing.
Scripps News learned after noon that the call between the two leaders had ended. The White House has not released any additional details of the call.
This marks the first conversation between President Trump and Putin since Ukraine in principle agreed to a version of a ceasefire just days ago. A potential 30-day ceasefire, while not ending the conflict, would be a significant development following more than three years of fighting that has cost tens of thousands of lives on both sides.
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Independent estimates suggest that Russian military casualties have exceeded 100,000 over the course of the conflict. Trump stated on Truth Social overnight that many components of a final agreement have already been reached between the U.S. and the Kremlin. However, he acknowledged that some major issues remain unresolved, such as territorial boundaries in Ukraine and Russia. Additionally, he mentioned that discussions would also involve power plants.
"Thousands of young soldiers, and others, are being killed. Each week brings 2,500 soldier deaths, from both sides, and it must end NOW. I look very much forward to the call with President Putin," President Trump wrote.
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This call follows a private meeting between a senior foreign policy adviser and Putin just days prior, setting the stage for today’s conversation. The main focus remains on the potential ceasefire in Eastern Europe amidst a backdrop of significant international events, including tensions in the Middle East where a ceasefire has collapsed after Israel struck Gaza on Tuesday, killing at least 400 Palestinians.
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