US President Donald Trump stated that he has had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, according to the New York Post on Saturday.
In an interview aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump declined to specify how many times he and Putin had spoken, saying, “better not say.” However, he added, “He (Putin) wants to see people stop dying.”
Neither the Kremlin nor the White House immediately responded to Reuters’ request for comment outside of business hours.
In late January, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned that Putin was open to a phone call with Trump and that Moscow was waiting for Washington to signal readiness for the conversation.
On Friday, Trump indicated that he would likely meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy next week to discuss ending the war.
The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, will reach its third anniversary on February 24, 2025. Thousands of people, mostly Ukrainians, have lost their lives in the conflict.
Trump told the New York Post that he has “always had a good relationship with Putin” and that he has a concrete plan to end the war, though he did not reveal further details.
“I hope it’s fast,” Trump said. “Every day people are dying. This war is so bad in Ukraine. I want to end this damn thing.”
