Trump's Urgent Call to Putin: Ending the Ukraine Conflict

In a phone call on Tuesday, former U.S. President Donald Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to expedite the end to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, proposing that such a resolution could fully restore relations between the two nations. This call followed a diplomatic visit to Moscow and Kyiv by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner over the weekend, aimed at reviving the stagnant peace talks. Although the recent diplomacy efforts did not yield public breakthroughs, a Kremlin statement indicated the possibility of resuming trilateral discussions with Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. Putin agreed with Trump's view, expressing that an end to the conflict could have significant impacts on trade and economic relations. The Kremlin appreciated the efforts of the U.S. envoys, describing their diplomatic weekend as productive. Talks hinted at potential cooperation on prisoner exchanges, while Putin reiterated Russia's non-aggressive stance towards Europe amidst perceived threats by European politicians. The dialogue was lauded as constructive, establishing that both leaders would maintain open lines of communication in the future. (With inputs from agencies.)