On the evening of 12 February, the presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, had a telephone conversation. It was not only the first official conversation between the leaders of the two countries since Trump taking office but also the first high-level contact between Moscow and Washington since the beginning of the Ukrainian conflict. Many issues have piled up in the relations between the two countries. The conversation lasted an hour and a half. The leaders talked about war and peace, economy, history and technology development.
Of course, the central topic was the situation in Ukraine, which, according to both presidents, requires a speedy resolution and the achievement of sustainable peace. According to President Trump, Russia and the United States agreed to immediately begin negotiations on a settlement in Ukraine. Immediately after the conversation with Putin, the US president spoke with Vladimir Zelensky.
BelTA's review looks into the details of both conversations, the reaction of the international community and the opinion of experts.
Time to work together. What did Moscow say about the conversation with Trump?
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported about the telephone conversation between Putin and Trump on the evening of 12 February. "The telephone conversation between President Putin and US President Donald Trump ended quite recently. It was a very long telephone conversation, it lasted almost an hour and a half," Dmitry Peskov said.
Soon, the Kremlin website published the details of the conversation between the two leaders. It was noted that Putin and Trump discussed issues related to the prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States. The US president assured the president of Russia of the American side's commitment to fulfill all the agreements reached. The leaders also discussed a possible Ukraine settlement.
“Donald Trump spoke in favor of a prompt cessation of hostilities and solving the conflict by peaceful means. Vladimir Putin, for his part, mentioned the need to address the root causes of the conflict and agreed with Donald Trump that a long-term settlement could be reached through peaceful negotiations. The Russian president also supported one of the main theses of the US president that the time has come for our countries to work together,” the Kremlin spokesperson said.
The conversation also touched upon the topics of the Middle East settlement, the Iranian nuclear program, and Russia-USA economic relations.
The Russian president invited his US counterpart to visit Moscow and expressed readiness to receive US officials in Russia to discuss the areas that are of mutual interest, including the Ukrainian conflict settlement.
“Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump agreed to continue personal contacts, including arranging a face-to-face meeting,” Dmitry Peskov said.
“I think I can say with great confidence that he wants to see it ended,” TASS quoted Trump as saying. “He doesn't want it to end, and then see the fighting resume six months later... And we are going to work towards getting it ended, and as soon as possible. It is a horrible situation. I think the bottom line is that eventually at some point in the not too distant future we will have a ceasefire.”
Trump also said he would have more phone talks with his Russian counterpart in the near future and that the parties would potentially hold reciprocal visits to the United States and Russia.
Of course, the central topic was the situation in Ukraine, which, according to both presidents, requires a speedy resolution and the achievement of sustainable peace. According to President Trump, Russia and the United States agreed to immediately begin negotiations on a settlement in Ukraine. Immediately after the conversation with Putin, the US president spoke with Vladimir Zelensky.
BelTA's review looks into the details of both conversations, the reaction of the international community and the opinion of experts.
Time to work together. What did Moscow say about the conversation with Trump?
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported about the telephone conversation between Putin and Trump on the evening of 12 February. "The telephone conversation between President Putin and US President Donald Trump ended quite recently. It was a very long telephone conversation, it lasted almost an hour and a half," Dmitry Peskov said.
Soon, the Kremlin website published the details of the conversation between the two leaders. It was noted that Putin and Trump discussed issues related to the prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States. The US president assured the president of Russia of the American side's commitment to fulfill all the agreements reached. The leaders also discussed a possible Ukraine settlement.
“Donald Trump spoke in favor of a prompt cessation of hostilities and solving the conflict by peaceful means. Vladimir Putin, for his part, mentioned the need to address the root causes of the conflict and agreed with Donald Trump that a long-term settlement could be reached through peaceful negotiations. The Russian president also supported one of the main theses of the US president that the time has come for our countries to work together,” the Kremlin spokesperson said.
The conversation also touched upon the topics of the Middle East settlement, the Iranian nuclear program, and Russia-USA economic relations.
The Russian president invited his US counterpart to visit Moscow and expressed readiness to receive US officials in Russia to discuss the areas that are of mutual interest, including the Ukrainian conflict settlement.
“Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump agreed to continue personal contacts, including arranging a face-to-face meeting,” Dmitry Peskov said.
Firmly believe in common sense. What did Trump say?
Trump informed about the results of the conversation with the Russian leader in a post on Truth Social first and then shared the details during a briefing at the White House.
“I just had a lengthy and highly productive phone call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. We discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, Energy, Artificial Intelligence, the power of the Dollar, and various other subjects. We both reflected on the Great History of our Nations, and the fact that we fought so successfully together in World War II, remembering, that Russia lost tens of millions of people, and we, likewise, lost so many!” Trump said in his post on Truth Social.
“We each talked about the strengths of our respective Nations, and the great benefit that we will someday have in working together, the US president said. But first, Trump stressed, it is important to stop deaths taking place in the Ukrainian conflict.
“President Putin even used my very strong Campaign motto of, ‘COMMON SENSE.’ We both believe very strongly in it,” Trump said.
He also said that the sides agreed to immediately start working on the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.
“We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations. We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately,” Mr. Trump said, promising to start the process with a call to Zelensky.
“I have asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, national security adviser Michael Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to lead negotiations, which I strongly believe, will be successful,” the US president said.
Donald Trump reiterated his thesis that the conflict in Ukraine would not have happened if he had been the US president at the time. He also expressed gratitude to Putin “for his time and efforts” and thanked his Russian counterpart for the release of US citizen Mark Fogel from prison.
“I believe this effort will lead to a successful conclusion, hopefully soon!” Trump said.
The US president continued to share details of his conversation with Vladimir Putin while speaking to reporters at the White House. In particular, Trump said that he was confident in the Russian president's desire to resolve the Ukrainian conflict.
Donald Trump reiterated his thesis that the conflict in Ukraine would not have happened if he had been the US president at the time. He also expressed gratitude to Putin “for his time and efforts” and thanked his Russian counterpart for the release of US citizen Mark Fogel from prison.
“I believe this effort will lead to a successful conclusion, hopefully soon!” Trump said.
The US president continued to share details of his conversation with Vladimir Putin while speaking to reporters at the White House. In particular, Trump said that he was confident in the Russian president's desire to resolve the Ukrainian conflict.
“I think I can say with great confidence that he wants to see it ended,” TASS quoted Trump as saying. “He doesn't want it to end, and then see the fighting resume six months later... And we are going to work towards getting it ended, and as soon as possible. It is a horrible situation. I think the bottom line is that eventually at some point in the not too distant future we will have a ceasefire.”
Trump also said he would have more phone talks with his Russian counterpart in the near future and that the parties would potentially hold reciprocal visits to the United States and Russia.
"I will be dealing with President Putin, largely on the phone, and we ultimately expect to meet. In fact, we expect that he'll come here, and I'll go there, and we're going to meet also, probably in Saudi Arabia. The first time, we'll meet in Saudi Arabia," Donald Trump said.
He added that he did not yet know the specific date of the meeting. “[The meeting] hasn’t been set but not too distant future,” Trump said.
According to Reuters, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he hopes to end the war within six months.
The White House also commented on the phone call between Putin and Trump. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the United Stated views Putin and Russia as a great competitor in the region, at times an adversary. Nevertheless, Trump is committed to building good diplomatic relations with leaders around the world and finding that common ground.
Leavitt also announced that Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg remains a critical part of the team. Although in his post on Truth Social Trump did not include Kellogg in the list of those who will lead the negotiations to end the war. The media previously speculated that Kellogg might disappear from the list because he is allegedly seen as a supporter of the “party of war” in Russia.
‘I want to have our money secured!’ How did Trump's call with Zelensky go?
After the conversation with Putin, the US president, as promised, held a conversation with Zelensky. According to Zelensky's advisor Dmitry Litvin, the phone conversation lasted about an hour.
Trump commented on his conversation with Zelensky in a post on Truth Social. "The conversation went very well. He, like President Putin, wants to make PEACE. We discussed a variety of topics having to do with the War, but mostly, the meeting that is being set up on Friday in Munich, where Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the Delegation. I am hopeful that the results of that meeting will be positive,” the US president said.
He noted that it was time to stop the conflict that brings loss of life and huge destruction.”God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine!” Trump wrote.
The US president shared his forecasts regarding Ukraine with journalists at the White House. In particular, he said that Ukraine was unlikely to get back the territories currently under Russian control.
Trump also said he believes it is unrealistic for Ukraine to join NATO. Moreover, he thinks “it is likely impractical”. He recalled that Russia opposes Ukraine's membership in the alliance. “For a long time they have been saying that Ukraine cannot go into NATO. And I am okay with that,” Trump said.
Speaking about the settlement of the conflict, Trump said that Zelensky would do what he thought necessary. At the same time, the US president hinted that Zelensky was not very popular among Ukrainians, adding that “sometimes you have to have elections, too”. “His polling numbers are not great,” Trump said .
In addition, the US president said that Washington should have provided assistance to Kiev in the form of loans or demanding guarantees of compensation. “We will protect our money,” Trump said. ”They have rare earth metals, oil and gas, and many other things. And we're asking for a guarantee of repayment of our money ... Ukraine has agreed to that.”
Zelensky also made a comment afterward. He stated that Ukraine “wants peace more than anyone else” and also informed that during the conversation with Trump, the visit of US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent to Ukraine was discussed. Bessent arrived in Kiev to discuss with Zelensky compensation for the US military aid provided. Earlier, Trump said that he wanted “the equivalent of like $500 billion worth of rare earth” from Ukraine.
Speaking about the settlement of the conflict, Trump said that Zelensky would do what he thought necessary. At the same time, the US president hinted that Zelensky was not very popular among Ukrainians, adding that “sometimes you have to have elections, too”. “His polling numbers are not great,” Trump said .
In addition, the US president said that Washington should have provided assistance to Kiev in the form of loans or demanding guarantees of compensation. “We will protect our money,” Trump said. ”They have rare earth metals, oil and gas, and many other things. And we're asking for a guarantee of repayment of our money ... Ukraine has agreed to that.”
Zelensky also made a comment afterward. He stated that Ukraine “wants peace more than anyone else” and also informed that during the conversation with Trump, the visit of US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent to Ukraine was discussed. Bessent arrived in Kiev to discuss with Zelensky compensation for the US military aid provided. Earlier, Trump said that he wanted “the equivalent of like $500 billion worth of rare earth” from Ukraine.
“I had a meaningful conversation with Trump. We long talked about opportunities to achieve peace, discussed our readiness to work together at the team level, and Ukraine’s technological capabilities - including drones and other advanced industries. We also spoke about my discussion with Scott Bessent and the preparation of a new document on security, economic cooperation, and resource partnership. President Trump shared details of his conversation with Putin,” Ukrainian newspaper Strana quotes Zelensky's words about the conversation with Trump.
Zelensky added that Kiev and Washington are "charting our next steps" to stop Russian aggression and ensure a lasting, reliable peace. “As President Trump said, let’s get it done. We agreed to maintain further contact and plan upcoming meetings,” Zelensky concluded.
Meanwhile, Head of the Ukraine Presidential Office Andrei Yermak said that Trump and Zelensky agreed to immediately launch teams to end the war.
More than just negotiations. How did the world react?
Many European politicians reacted to President Trump's statements about his imminent meeting with Putin and the reasoning of the US leader and his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that it is unrealistic for Ukraine to regain the land ost. According to the BBC, some said that peace talks are impossible without Ukraine and Europe, while others said that such verbal concessions before the start of negotiations mean "betrayal of the interests of both Ukraine and the West." Bloomberg notes that European officials got no advance warning of Trump’s call with Putin and were shocked.
Germany, France, Poland, Italy, Spain, the UK, the European External Action Service and the European Commission said after a conversation between the US and Russian presidents that Europe should be involved in any talks on Ukraine.
“We are looking forward to discussing the way ahead together with our American allies. Our shared objectives should be to put Ukraine in a position of strength. Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations. Ukraine should be provided with strong security guarantees. A just and lasting peace in Ukraine is a necessary condition for a strong transatlantic security,” reads the joint statement published by RIA Novosti.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that peace can only be achieved together “that means with Ukraine and with the Europeans.” “We must walk the path of peace together for peace to return to Europe”, the diplomat said.
The leader of the Patriots party Florian Philippot has called on Paris to restore dialogue with Russia and withdraw from the EU. "France must support peace and obviously withdraw from the EU, which wants to pay for everything. We have nothing to pay, enough is enough! Let's resume dialogue with Russia and all the countries of the world. Enough of this bellicose rhetoric!" he wrote in a post on X.
In a commentary to TASS, Florian Philippot said that the conversation between Putin and Trump will help bring peace to Ukraine faster. "The results of the exchange of opinions indicate a realistic approach. The parties proceed from the reality on the ground, they are determined to end the conflict and achieve de-escalation on a mutually acceptable basis," the politician said.
According to him, the conversation suggests Trump's intention to sideline the most belligerent forces. "Trump knows that Vladimir Zelensky is a puppet of the hawks who want war and of the EU countries that have lost their minds under the pressure of the previous American administration. They are an obstacle to peace, they want to keep the war going," Philippot emphasized.
The leader of the Patriots Party believes that the conversation between the American and Russian presidents could 'revolutionize' international relations. "This is more than just Ukraine peace talks. The Cold War is coming to an end, an opportunity for dialogue, fruitful exchanges and state visits is emerging. France will be able to contribute to this if it acts independently of the European Union," he said.
According to Philippot, otherwise, Europeans will keep pumping weapons and money into Ukraine, which will smash through their economies. "I think we need to move towards peace and towards exiting from the European Union," the head of the Patriots Party noted.
Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó believes that the conversation between Putin and Trump will be followed by fruitful negotiations that will give Europe hope for peace. "For three years we have been hoping that the war will end... We believe that the phone call will lay the foundation for successful negotiations, and after three years, peace will return to Central Europe," Szijjarto said.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi believes that USA-Russia relations are extremely important in resolving the Ukraine conflict, and Japan will keep a close eye on their moves.
Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said that the UN welcomes any efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. When asked whether the UN will be part of the negotiations, Haq said, "We would have to see what role we would have to play. Obviously, as we've said many times over the last three years, the United Nations is willing to play a good offices role if asked to by the parties."
'Brainstorming' in Munich. What do experts think?
The phone conversation between Putin and Trump opens the way for a political settlement and means that Russia ceases to be military adversary number one for the USA, Igor Korotchenko, military analyst, editor-in-chief of Russia’s National Defense magazine told TASS.
“The conversation became possible after we conducted an exchange of persons serving prison sentences in the Russian Federation and the United States. This gesture became a prelude to the phone conversation. The call lasted an hour and a half. But, most importantly, this call opens the way for direct communications between the Kremlin and the White House as it relates to finding approaches to resolving the situation around Ukraine. At the same time, the Trump administration does not have a peace plan as such. And, in fact, a certain set of criteria will be formulated now, and we will be able to sit down at the negotiating table with them,” the analyst said.
He emphasized that Russia would insist on a comprehensive approach. “Simply freezing the situation on the front line, or forcing Zelensky to leave the occupied territories of the Russian Federation, including the territories of the new subjects, is not Moscow's position. We must think about security in a broader context. It is fundamentally important for Russia to understand that the USA is not our friend - it is a geopolitical military adversary. Another thing is that under the current 47th president, the USA has somewhat different priorities. Russia is not at the top of the list as a potential target, or as a military adversary and political adversary number one. This role is now passed to China,” Korotchenko believes.
The expert believes that “brainstorming” on what will happen around Ukraine will be held at closed discussions at the Munich Security Conference, which will be held on 14-16 February. The talks will be attended by US Vice President J.D. Vance.
The phone conversation between Putin and Trump opens the way for a political settlement and means that Russia ceases to be military adversary number one for the USA, Igor Korotchenko, military analyst, editor-in-chief of Russia’s National Defense magazine told TASS.
“The conversation became possible after we conducted an exchange of persons serving prison sentences in the Russian Federation and the United States. This gesture became a prelude to the phone conversation. The call lasted an hour and a half. But, most importantly, this call opens the way for direct communications between the Kremlin and the White House as it relates to finding approaches to resolving the situation around Ukraine. At the same time, the Trump administration does not have a peace plan as such. And, in fact, a certain set of criteria will be formulated now, and we will be able to sit down at the negotiating table with them,” the analyst said.
He emphasized that Russia would insist on a comprehensive approach. “Simply freezing the situation on the front line, or forcing Zelensky to leave the occupied territories of the Russian Federation, including the territories of the new subjects, is not Moscow's position. We must think about security in a broader context. It is fundamentally important for Russia to understand that the USA is not our friend - it is a geopolitical military adversary. Another thing is that under the current 47th president, the USA has somewhat different priorities. Russia is not at the top of the list as a potential target, or as a military adversary and political adversary number one. This role is now passed to China,” Korotchenko believes.
The expert believes that “brainstorming” on what will happen around Ukraine will be held at closed discussions at the Munich Security Conference, which will be held on 14-16 February. The talks will be attended by US Vice President J.D. Vance.
“Obviously, this is where the EU and the USA will try to reach a consensus and then somehow get Zelensky's regime to agree with this. If Trump is not happy with the EU approach he will blatantly walk over them,” he concluded.
Director of the Notre Dame International Security Center (Indiana, USA) Michael Desch told TASS that the United States will no longer do business with Europe as before, and Donald Trump is showing it.
Desch believes that statements by Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth in Brussels make it clear that President Trump views post-war Ukraine as a European problem. “Among recent American presidents Trump has seemed more open to Russian concerns and visions for a European security order than many others. Given that, the Trump administration seems to be telegraphing that it is no longer business-as-usual in Europe," Desch said.
Tigran Meloyan, an analyst at the Center for Mediterranean Studies at the National Research University - Higher School of Economics, told Izvestia that the phone conversation between Putin and Trump showed that many international issues cannot be resolved without a dialogue with Moscow.
"The call finally ended Russia's so-called international isolation. As it turned out that without direct dialogue with Moscow some or other international issues, especially in security, cannot be solved," the expert stressed.
According to Meloyan, the leaders' phone conversation was the beginning of a whole series of contacts. "A rather long and not easy path is ahead, during which there will be many more contacts, but it is important that the sides are ready to overcome it through dialogue," he concluded.
Vita Khanataeva
BelTA
Photos courtesy of AR, TASS, RIA Novosti
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