Trump says he has spoken to Putin about ending war in Ukraine: report

Published
0
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands as they meet in Helsinki, Finland, July 16, 2018 — Reuters File Photo
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands as they meet in Helsinki, Finland, July 16, 2018 — Reuters File Photo

US President Donald Trump said that he has talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine, the New York Post reported late on Saturday.

In an interview aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump said that he had “better not say,” when asked how many times the two leaders have spoken.

“He (Putin) wants to see people stop dying,” Trump told the New York Post.

Neither the Kremlin nor the White House immediately responded to Reuters’ request for comment outside business hours.

In late January, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Putin is ready to hold a phone call with Trump and Moscow is waiting for word from Washington that it is ready too.

On Friday, Trump said he would probably meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy next week to discuss the end of the war.

The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, will mark its third anniversary on February 24. Thousands of people, the vast majority of them Ukrainian, have been killed during the conflict.

Trump told the New York Post that he has “always had a good relationship with Putin” and that he has a concrete plan to end the war. But he did not disclose further details.

“I hope it’s fast,” Trump said. “Every day people are dying. This war is so bad in Ukraine. I want to end this damn thing.”

Opinion

Editorial

Makkah agreement
09 Aug, 2026

Makkah agreement

IN the midst of a gruelling war between the US and Iran — currently at a stalemate — the signing of the Makkah...
Conflicting priorities
09 Aug, 2026

Conflicting priorities

THERE is a reasonable argument that the democratic process must go on regardless of prevailing conditions; that...
FIFA controversy
09 Aug, 2026

FIFA controversy

FIFA PRESIDENT Gianni Infantino is at the centre of a storm of his own making. Even after a crisis meeting in...
Danger ahead
Updated 08 Aug, 2026

Danger ahead

PAKISTAN has already paid a heavy human price this monsoon, even as another dangerous spell approaches. NDMA figures...
Israeli impunity
08 Aug, 2026

Israeli impunity

ANY hope that Hamas’s decision to disarm would lead to a breakthrough has been dashed for one simple reason:...
Flawed investigations
Updated 08 Aug, 2026

Flawed investigations

An inaccurate record of a victim’s wounds hinders the dispensation of justice. Medical examiners in such a critical area cannot cut corners.