Trump says he spoke with Russia's Putin, vows immediate Ukraine peace talks to 'stop millions of deaths'
According to Trump, both he and Putin expressed a strong desire to end the ongoing war in Ukraine, with Putin even invoking Trump's campaign motto of "common sense."

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday stated that he held a "lengthy and highly productive" phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which both leaders agreed to start peace negotiations on Ukraine "immediately."
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that they discussed a range of topics, including Ukraine, the Middle East, energy, artificial intelligence, and the global financial system. He also noted that they reflected on the "great history" of US-Russia relations, particularly during World War II.
According to Trump, both he and Putin expressed a strong desire to end the ongoing war in Ukraine, with Putin even invoking Trump's campaign motto of "common sense." The US president said they had agreed to direct their respective teams to begin negotiations and would first reach out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to inform him of the conversation.
"But first, as we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine. President Putin even used my very strong Campaign motto of, “COMMON SENSE.” We both believe very strongly in it. We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations," he wrote.
Trump also announced that he had tasked several key officials with leading the negotiations, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
"Millions of people have died in a war that would not have happened if I were president, but it did happen, so it must end. No more lives should be lost!" Trump wrote. He also thanked Putin for the release of Marc Fogel, a former US teacher detained in Russia, whom Trump claimed to have personally greeted at the White House.