Following a phone call that lasted over two hours with US President Donald Trump on 19 May, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia was ready to start working jointly with Ukraine on the drafting of a memorandum that could lay the groundwork for a future peace agreement.
Describing the conversation as ‘very productive, substantive and rather frank’, Putin stressed that both sides recognised the need to find effective solutions for the ceasefire and the resumption of direct talks, which were interrupted in 2022 by Kiev’s decision.
Moscow proposed a document that should contain the basic principles of an understanding, an indicative timeline for the eventual agreement, and also provisions for a possible temporary truce, should a mutual understanding be reached.
The Russian president reiterated that the overriding goal remains the elimination of the causes that provoked the conflict. In his view, this is the decisive step towards building a lasting and credible peace. Contacts between the participants of the previous Istanbul format have reportedly already resumed, hinting at a concrete opportunity to unblock the negotiation process.
Putin thanked Trump for his support in facilitating the resumption of negotiations and said that Russia remains willing to work with all parties involved to find a sustainable compromise. ‘It is crucial that both Moscow and Kiev demonstrate a genuine will to achieve peace,’ he said.
Further details on the content of the conversation will be provided, the president pointed out, by spokesman Dmitry Peskov and his adviser Jurij Ushakov.
