President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he might meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia, just hours after the leaders had their first publicly disclosed phone call since Trump took office, Axios reported.
Trump said he and Putin agreed to "start negotiations immediately" to end the war in Ukraine, now nearing its third anniversary. He also made significant statements on Ukraine's position, saying NATO membership for the country was not "practical" and that it was "unlikely that Ukraine gets all of its land back."
However, he later added that he believed "some of that land will come back" to Ukraine.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump suggested that a meeting with Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia could be in the works, though he did not specify a timeline. Until then, he said he would continue phone discussions with Putin.
The conversation between Trump and Putin and a prisoner swap announced Tuesday that included the return of an American, Marc Fogel, wrongly detained in Russia signals a potential thaw in relations between the countries.
On Wednesday, Trump also spoke with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to brief him on the call with Putin.
Zelenskyy wrote on X that the discussion was "meaningful" and centered on "opportunities to achieve peace." He reiterated Ukraine's commitment to ending the war, saying, "No one wants peace more than Ukraine. Together with the U.S., we are charting our next steps to stop Russian aggression and ensure a lasting, reliable peace. As President Trump said, let's get it done."
However, in an interview with the Economist published Wednesday, Zelenskyy expressed concerns about decisions regarding Ukraine being made without Kyiv's involvement. He also noted limited contact with Trump's team.
On Truth Social, according to Axios, Trump characterized his call with Putin as "lengthy and highly productive," saying they discussed a wide range of topics, including Ukraine, the Middle East, energy, artificial intelligence, and "the power of the dollar." He also highlighted a shared philosophy with Putin, noting that the Russian leader used Trump's "campaign motto of common sense."
"We each talked about the strengths of our respective nations and the great benefit that we will someday have working together," Trump wrote. "But first, as we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine."
Trump added that he and Putin agreed to work closely together and visit each other's countries in the future.