Russia, Ukraine to immediately start ceasefire talks: Trump after call with Putin

US President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday and announced that Russia and Ukraine would begin immediate negotiations toward a ceasefire. However, the Kremlin said that any agreement would take time, and Trump signalled he was not prepared to join Europe in imposing new sanctions to pressure Moscow.

Trump said he had a “little conversation with a nice gentleman named Vladimir Putin”. He claimed that progress was being made, stating that around 5,000 young soldiers are being killed every week on average, possibly more, along with civilians in towns.

“We’re trying to stop it. It’s an absolute bloodbath,” he said, adding that he had seen satellite images that were “so bad, so horrible”.

Trump added, “We’re doing the best we can. This was not our war. This was not me. We’re doing something from the last administration. How did they allow that to happen? It wouldn’t have happened.”

WHAT PUTIN SAID

After his conversation with Trump, Putin said that efforts to end the war were “generally on the right track” and added that Moscow was willing to work with Ukraine on a possible peace agreement.

“We have agreed with the President of the United States that Russia will propose and is ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum on a possible future peace accord,” he told reporters near the Black Sea resort of Sochi, as per Reuters.