Donald Trump reportedly admitted that he called the Russian Despot Vladimir Putin about ending his invasion of Ukraine, making him the first American president to have a direct conversation with Putin since 2022.
Trump, who has long promised to end the war in Ukraine, but has not yet publicly explained his plans, said last week that the war was a massacre and that his team had 'had some very good conversations'.
In an interview on board Air Force One on Friday, Trump reluctantly told the New York Post that he “shouldn't say” how often he and Putin had spoken by telephone.
'[Putin] Want to see people stop dying, “Trump told the newspaper.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told The Tass State News Agency that 'many different communication is on the rise'.
“This communication is carried out through different channels,” said Peskov when Tass was asked to comment directly on the New York Post report.
'I may not know something, I don't be aware of somewhere. That is why I cannot confirm or deny it in this case. '
While the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, the broader conflict has been going on for more than a decade, after pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown in the revolution of dignity.
Donald Trump (photo) said last week that the war was a massacre
Trump told the New York Post back that he 'should not say' how often he and Vladimir Putin (photo) had spoken by phone
An indignant Russia then annexed Crimea, before he provided military support to Pro-Russia militant groups in different regions.
Putin sent thousands of troops to Ukraine in 2022 and called it a “special military operation” to protect Russian speakers in Ukraine and to “demilituish and deny the country.”
He also said he wanted to protect Russia against the threat of potential membership of Ukraine with NATO.
But Ukraine and his western donors, led by the United States, have consistently stated that the Russian invasion is an imperial landle grab and for a long time to beat Russian troops, although the US's support is shaking.
Moscow is currently checking a part of Ukraine about the size of the US state of Virginia and he has been at the fastest pace since the early days of the 2022 invasion.
Trump has repeatedly said that he wants to end the war and that he will meet Putin to discuss it, although the date or location for a top is still not publicly known.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are seen by Russia as possible locations for a top.
On June 14, Putin postponed his opening conditions for an immediate end of the war, with the request for Ukraine to drop his NATO ambitions and to withdraw his troops from the whole of the territory of four Ukrainian regions claimed and mostly controlled by Russia .
An administrative building is damaged after the Russian rocket attack on February 5, 2025 in Izium, Ukraine
An explosion of a drone is seen in the air over the city during a Russian drone strike, amidst Russia attack on Ukraine, in Kiev, Ukraine on February 5, 2025
A soldier of the 2nd battalion Royal Anglian Infantry Unit storms an enemy position in a simulated attack on NATO 'Brilliant jump' military exercise on February 26, 2024 in Poland
British troops that control Jackal Combat vehicles, descended from M3 amphibian rigs from the German/British amphibious engineer Battalion 130 after crossing the Vistula River during NATO Dragon 24 Military Exercise on March 4, 2024
In November it was reported that Putin was open to discussing a Ukraine -peace agreement with Trump, but excludes to make important territorial concessions and insists that KYIV is leaving the ambitions to join NATO.
The Kremlin has repeatedly insisted on speculation about contacts with the Trump team about a possible peace agreement.
Leonid Slutsky, head of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian Parliament, was cited on Thursday by the State Ria press agency that the preparations for such a meeting were in 'an advanced phase' and that it could take place in February or March.
Putin last spoke with former US President Joe Biden in February 2022, shortly before Putin ordered thousands of troops in Ukraine. The two leaders then spoke for about an hour, the Kremlin said.
Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward, in his book 'War' from 2024, reported that Trump had direct conversations, no less than seven times with Putin after leaving the White House in 2021.
Asked if that was true in an interview at Bloomberg last year, Trump said: “If I did, it's a smart thing.” The Kremlin denied the Woodward report.
On Friday, Trump said that he would probably meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zenskiy next week to end the war.
Trump told the New York Post that he “always had a good relationship with Putin” and that he has a concrete plan to end the war. But he has not announced any further details.
“I hope it's soon,” said Trump. 'People die every day. This war is so bad at Ukraine. I want to end this damn thing. '
