Russian dictator Vladimir Putin spoke to journalists after a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump on May 19. He said that the conversation lasted more than two hours and called it “substantive, frank, and very useful.”
A video of Putin’s speech was published by Russian media.
According to Putin, Trump expressed his position on the ceasefire during the conversation and noted that Russia supports a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Ukraine.
According to Putin, a ceasefire in Ukraine is possible after the relevant agreements are reached.
Putin thanked the United States for supporting the idea of resuming direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, which were interrupted in 2022. According to him, the US and Russia expressed their joint readiness to seek effective ways to achieve peace.
The issue of a possible ceasefire was discussed. In this context, an agreement was reached on the development of a memorandum between Russia and Ukraine. According to Putin, the document should provide for the principles of settlement, the terms of a peace agreement, and the conditions for a temporary cessation of hostilities if the parties agree.
Putin noted that contacts between the participants in the Istanbul talks had resumed and called this a positive sign.
“The question, of course, is for the Russian and Ukrainian sides to show maximum commitment to peace and find compromises that would suit all parties. At the same time, I would like to note that Russia’s position is clear. The main thing for us is to eliminate the root causes of this crisis,” Putin concluded.