Putin, Trump talk on ending Russia-Ukraine war; read Russian President’s full statement

In a surprising turn of events, Russian President Vladimir Putin made some unusually candid remarks after a lengthy two-hour phone call with US President Donald Trump on May 19. For the first time in a while, Putin sounded almost conciliatory.

Speaking directly to Russian media late Sunday, Putin described the conversation as “substantive” and “candid,” hinting that Moscow might be ready to get serious about peace talks in Ukraine again. What’s more, he suggested that Trump could play a behind-the-scenes role in helping draft a future ceasefire agreement.

Putin revealed that Russia is ready to work with Ukraine on drafting a memorandum covering everything from settlement principles and ceasefire terms to a timeline for a peace deal. He even mentioned that the Istanbul talks—previously stalled—have resumed. This is a big deal because it’s the clearest sign yet that Russia wants to come back to the negotiating table.

Interestingly, Putin openly thanked Trump for supporting the resumption of these talks, while shifting some blame for past failures onto Ukraine. That claim will certainly ruffle feathers in Kyiv and Washington.

Putin’s full statement
Good evening.

Our colleagues asked me to briefly comment on the outcome of my telephone conversation with the President of the United States.

This conversation has effectively taken place and lasted more than two hours. I would like to emphasise that it was both substantive and quite candid. Overall, I believe it was a very productive exchange.

First and foremost, I expressed my gratitude to the President of the United States for the support provided by the United States in facilitating the resumption of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine aimed at potentially reaching a peace agreement and resuming the talks which, as we know, were thwarted by the Ukrainian side in 2022.

The President of the United States shared his position on the cessation of hostilities and the prospects for a ceasefire. For my part, I noted that Russia also supports a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis as well. What we need now is to identify the most effective ways towards achieving peace.

We agreed with the President of the United States that Russia would propose and is ready to engage with the Ukrainian side on drafting a memorandum regarding a potential future peace agreement. This would include outlining a range of provisions, such as the principles for settlement, the timeframe for a possible peace deal, and other matters, including a potential temporary ceasefire, should the necessary agreements be reached.

Contacts among participants of the Istanbul meeting and talks have resumed, which gives reason to believe that we are on the right track overall.

I would like to reiterate that the conversation was highly constructive, and I assess it positively. The key issue, of course, is now for the Russian side and the Ukrainian side to show their firm commitment to peace and to forge a compromise that would be acceptable to all parties.

Notably, Russia’s position is clear. Eliminating the root causes of this crisis is what matters most to us.

Should any clarifications be necessary, Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov and my aide, Mr Ushakov, will provide further details on today’s telephone talks with President Trump.