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U.S. President Donald Trump said that he had a “lengthy and highly productive” phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin in which they agreed to “start negotiations” toward ending Russia’s war with Ukraine. The two leaders also agreed to meet in person, Trump said in a post on February 12, 2025.

This was the Russian leader’s first conversation with a sitting U.S. president since February 2022, when Putin spoke with Joe Biden before sending troops into Ukraine. Trump and Putin spoke for nearly 90 minutes.

On Ukraine, Trump said he and Putin “agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations. We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now.“

Trump added: “We both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine … No more lives should be lost!“

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote that he had a “lengthy and highly productive phone call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia,” in which they “discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, Energy, Artificial Intelligence, the power of the Dollar, and various other subjects.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the development, saying, “It was a very long phone call, it lasted almost an hour and a half,” he added. Kremlin readout said that Putin “mentioned the need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and agreed with Trump that a long-term settlement could be achieved through peaceful negotiations”.

Trump had been signaling his intent to engage with Putin to resolve the Ukraine conflict. He also announced that he had tasked U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Ambassador and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to lead the negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

Trump holds separate talks with Zelenskyy after Putin

Trump also spoke with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy shortly after getting off the phone with Putin. The phone call lasted for about an hour.

Trump said that his conversation with Zelenskyy “went very well,” and that “he, like President Putin, wants to make peace.” Trump said that Zelenskyy would meet on Friday with the U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

“I am hopeful that the results of that meeting will be positive. It is time to stop this ridiculous War, where there has been massive, and totally unnecessary, death and destruction,” Trump wrote.

Zelenskyy mentioned in a post on X that he and Trump talked “about opportunities to achieve peace, discussed our readiness to work together at the team level and Ukraine’s technological capabilities. “Together with the US, we are charting our next steps to stop Russian aggression and ensure a lasting, reliable peace. As President Trump said, let’s get it done,” Zelenskyy continued. “No one wants peace more than Ukraine,” he wrote.

Zelenskyy also mentioned his discussions with US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent on the “preparation of a new document on security, economic cooperation, and resource partnership.”

I had a meaningful conversation with @POTUS. We long talked about opportunities to achieve peace, discussed our readiness to work together at the team level, and Ukraine’s technological capabilities—including drones and other advanced industries. I am grateful to President Trump… pic.twitter.com/2SIOTX3jEp

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 12, 2025

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth outlined the U.S. negotiating position in Brussels on Wednesday, stating that the war between Ukraine and Russia “must end.” He added that Ukraine’s goal of reclaiming all territory occupied by Russia, including pre-2014 borders, is unrealistic. Hegseth also declared that Ukraine’s NATO membership is unlikely and that the Trump administration would prioritize securing U.S. borders and deterring conflict with China over European and Ukrainian security.

Putin invites Trump to Moscow to discuss Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin invited U.S. President Donald Trump to Moscow during a call on Wednesday to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin said. The two leaders also agreed to future meetings.

“The Russian president invited the U.S. president to visit Moscow and expressed his readiness to host American officials on mutual interests, including Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

Peskov added that Putin and Trump agreed to maintain personal communication and arrange future face-to-face meetings. Peskov said the discussion touched on several topics, including Ukraine, the Middle East, bilateral relations, and a potential prisoner exchange between Washington and Moscow.

Trump welcomes Marc Fogel home after Russia releases him

On February 11, Trump welcomed home Marc Fogel, an American history teacher, who was freed after three and a half years of imprisonment in Russia on drug charges. “I appreciate very much what they did in letting Marc go home,” Trump said after he greeted Fogel outside the White House South Portico. Fogel arrived in a private plane from Moscow at Joint Base Andrews, where he was greeted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Draped in an American flag, Fogel expressed his gratitude, saying, “I feel like the luckiest man on Earth right now.” Fogel, who was wrongfully detained in August 2021 for traveling with medically prescribed marijuana, had been serving a 14-year sentence.

“When I saw [Marc Fogel’s] mother at a rally, she said, ‘If you win, will you get my son out?’ I promised her—she’s 95 years old—and I said, ‘We’ll get him out,’ and we got him out pretty quickly.” –President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/jQ681LMxgD

— President Donald J. Trump (@POTUS) February 12, 2025

Fogel’s release, part of a swap with Russia, is seen as a potential breakthrough in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. “I think there’s goodwill, in terms of the war,” Trump said. “I think this … could be a big, important part in getting the war over.” Trump praised Putin as “very generous and statesmanlike in granting me a pardon” for releasing Marc Fogel.

The Kremlin confirmed that a Russian citizen was released by the U.S. in exchange but withheld the individual’s identity until he reached Russia.

President Donald Trump announced that another “very special” American would be released on Wednesday, though he did not specify the individual’s identity or country of detention. Trump also declined to say whether he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about Marc Fogel.

Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Waltz, confirmed that the U.S. and Russia had negotiated an exchange for Fogel’s release but did not disclose the terms of the agreement.