Donald Trump, the United States president has announced that Russia and Ukraine will “immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War,” following a nearly two-hour phone call with Russian president Vladmir Putin.

The high-stakes conversation, confirmed by both US officials and Russian state media outlet TASS, marks the third known call between the two leaders since Trump took office in January. In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform, Trump struck a markedly optimistic tone, describing the discussion as having “excellent” spirit and tone, and expressing confidence in the path ahead.

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“The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of,” Trump wrote. “Russia wants to do largescale TRADE with the United States when this catastrophic ‘bloodbath’ is over, and I agree. There is a tremendous opportunity for Russia to create massive amounts of jobs and wealth. Its potential is UNLIMITED.”

Trump added that Ukraine also “can be a great beneficiary on Trade,” implying that economic incentives may play a key role in the broader diplomatic equation.

While Trump’s remarks were buoyant and forward-looking, Putin’s comments were more measured. According to TASS, the Russian president described the call as “frank and substantive,” adding that he had expressed Moscow’s position on a possible ceasefire.

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“The US president expressed his position on the secession of hostilities, ceasefire, and from my end, I have emphasised that Russia stands for peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian crisis,” Putin said during a press briefing after the call. “We just need to outline the most effective routes of moving towards peace.”

Putin also thanked Trump for his efforts in facilitating the resumption of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Despite the encouraging rhetoric from both sides, neither leader offered any concrete timelines or details on when the actual fighting might cease. Trump’s confidence that talks will begin “immediately” appears to outpace the more cautious language from Moscow, where Putin merely acknowledged readiness to work “on a memorandum of a possible future peace agreement.”

In his Truth Social post, Trump revealed that he had already briefed several international leaders on the contents of his call with Putin, including Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, French president Emmanuel Macron, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, German chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Finnish president Alexander Stubb.

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Significantly, Trump also claimed that the Vatican, “as represented by the Pope,” had expressed interest in hosting the potential negotiations — a symbolic gesture that could lend moral weight to the diplomatic process.

The conversation follows a volatile stretch in US-Russia relations during Trump’s second term. Although he initially pledged to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office, his tone has fluctuated. A previous phone call in February was described by Trump as “highly productive,” but by March, frustration had clearly set in. He publicly condemned Putin’s attacks on Zelenskyy’s credibility and threatened punitive trade measures — including a proposed 50% tariff on countries purchasing Russian oil — if Moscow did not agree to a ceasefire.

Monday’s phone call may mark a turning point in Trump’s strategy. While the long-term impact remains uncertain, the US president appears determined to reassert his role as a central mediator in the Ukraine conflict — and possibly secure a legacy-defining diplomatic victory.

As Trump concluded in his post: “Let the process begin!”