U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed a desire for peace in separate phone calls with him. Trump has now ordered top U.S. officials to begin talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
Trump’s diplomatic push comes after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signaled a major shift in U.S. policy, saying Kyiv would have to abandon its goal of joining NATO and reclaiming all occupied territory.
Following an hour-long call with Putin, Trump said the Russian leader was open to a ceasefire "in the not-too-distant future."
“He wants it to end. He doesn’t want to end it and then go back to fighting six months later,” Trump told reporters.
"I think we're on the way to getting peace. I think President Putin wants peace, President Zelensky wants peace, and I want peace," he added.
Trump has appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, and Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff to lead U.S. negotiations on ending the war.
After his conversation with Putin, Trump spoke with Zelensky for an hour. The Ukrainian president later described the call as “meaningful”, saying they discussed Ukraine’s defense capabilities, including drones and advanced technologies.
Trump said he and Putin expect to meet soon, most likely in Saudi Arabia, though Putin has also invited Trump to visit Moscow.
Defense Secretary Hegseth earlier stated that restoring Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is unrealistic and that NATO membership for Kyiv is not part of a peace settlement.
"Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering," Hegseth told NATO allies in Brussels.
Ukraine has long maintained that any peace deal must include:
✔ Russia’s full withdrawal from occupied territory
✔ Binding NATO membership or equivalent security guarantees
However, Moscow insists on Ukraine ceding territory and remaining permanently neutral.
A joint statement from Germany, France, Poland, Italy, Spain, the U.K., and the European Union stressed that Ukraine’s future must not be decided without its involvement. They also pledged to increase military and economic support to strengthen Kyiv’s position.
Meanwhile, Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent visited Kyiv on Wednesday—the first Trump cabinet official to do so—and floated the idea of a U.S.-Ukraine minerals investment deal as a post-war economic shield.
Trump’s peace push follows a U.S.-Russia prisoner swap completed on Tuesday, in which:
✔ Russia freed American teacher Marc Fogel, who had been serving a 14-year sentence
✔ The U.S. released a Russian cybercriminal, as part of a negotiated exchange
The Kremlin called the swap a step toward rebuilding trust between Washington and Moscow.
Trump also confirmed that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Rubio will meet Ukrainian officials on Friday in Munich at the annual security conference, signaling further diplomatic moves.
Iran's Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi says “continued violations of the ceasefire” by U.S. are undermining diplomacy, warn...
Iran is considering attending peace talks with the United States in Pakistan, a senior Iranian official tol...
Tim Cook, the tech boss who led Apple to become a $4 trillion company in its post-Steve Jobs era, is stepping down af...
The Iranian-flagged container ship Touska, which was boarded and seized by U.S. forces on Sunday (18 April), is...
Musician D4vd has been charged with first-degree murder over the death of a teenage girl whose dismembered remains were found inside a car lin...
Iran's Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi says “continued violations of the ceasefire” by U.S. are undermining diplomacy, warning Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar the breaches pose major obstacles, as U.S. Vice President JD Vance is set to visit Islamabad on Tuesday for peace talks.
Iran is considering attending peace talks with the United States in Pakistan, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday, following moves by Islamabad to end a U.S. blockade of Iran's ports, a significant obstacle to Tehran rejoining peace efforts as the end of a two-week ceasefire approaches
Tim Cook, the tech boss who led Apple to become a $4 trillion company in its post-Steve Jobs era, is stepping down after 15 years in the top job. John Ternus, an Apple veteran of 25 years, who is currently the U.S. company’s Vice President of Hardware Engineering, will take over from September.
The Iranian-flagged container ship Touska, which was boarded and seized by U.S. forces on Sunday (18 April), is likely to have what Washington deems dual-use items that could be used by the military onboard, maritime security sources said on Monday.
Dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots have demonstrated improvements in speed, balance and autonomous navigation after completing a half-marathon in Beijing on Sunday (19 April), in a showcase of the country’s fast-developing robotics sector.
Iran accuses the United States of breaching a ceasefire after a commercial ship was seized in the Gulf of Oman, vowing retaliation, as Israel warns south Lebanon residents to avoid restricted areas.
Progessive Bulgaria, led by pro-Russian Eurosceptic Rumen Radev is on track to form Bulgaria’s next government, after official results showed a runaway victory for the coalition in the Balkan nation's parliamentary elections on Monday (20 April).
Secretly filmed footage from two UK laboratories has reignited debate over animal testing in drug development, after a former worker alleged that monkeys, dogs and other animals endured prolonged distress during safety trials for new medicines.
A powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake has struck off Japan’s north-eastern coast, triggering urgent tsunami warnings with waves of up to 3 metres expected, prompting residents to seek immediate safety.
Hungarian election winner Péter Magyar on Monday nominated András Kármán as finance minister, Anita Orbán as foreign minister and István Kapitány as economy and energy minister in his incoming government, as previously indicated.
Residents displaced by Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades have begun returning to their damaged homes, hoping to recover belongings that survived the blaze.
Progessive Bulgaria, led by pro-Russian Eurosceptic Rumen Radev is on track to form Bulgaria’s next government, after official results showed a runaway victory for the coalition in the Balkan nation's parliamentary elections on Monday (20 April).
Elon Musk did not appear before French prosecutors on Monday after being formally summoned for questioning in an investigation into the alleged misuse of his social media platform X.
Central Asian countries and Russia have launched a new platform for industrial cooperation, signalling a shift from traditional trade ties towards deeper production integration.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment