WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said his call with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Monday went very well and that Moscow and Kyiv would immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire and end to the war.
Under pressure from Trump, delegates from the warring countries met last week in Istanbul for the first time since 2022, though they failed to agree to a truce. Kyiv says it is ready for a ceasefire now; Moscow says conditions must be met first.
“Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will begin immediately,” Trump said in a Truth Social post following his call with Putin, which lasted two hours.
Trump said he held a joint call with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky as well as the leaders of the European Union, France, Italy, Germany and Finland following his call with Putin. Trump informed those leaders that negotiations would start immediately, he said.
Trump floated the idea of newly installed Pope Leo as host for the talks, saying: “The Vatican, as represented by the Pope, has stated that it would be very interested in hosting the negotiations.”
Trump said that the “tone and spirit of the conversation (with Putin) were excellent,” and that Russia wants to do “largescale” trade with the US once the war is over.
He said that Ukraine would also benefit from trade “in the process of rebuilding its country.”
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After Putin call, Trump says Russia-Ukraine talks to begin ‘immediately’
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After Putin call, Trump says Russia-Ukraine talks to begin ‘immediately’
- Under pressure from Trump, delegates from the warring countries met last week in Istanbul for the first time since 2022
- “Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will begin immediately,” Trump said in a Truth Social post
Ukraine says it hit Russian oil rig, patrol ship in Caspian Sea
KYIV: Ukraine said its drones struck a Russian oil rig belonging to Lukoil in the Caspian Sea and a military patrol ship near a rig as Kyiv steps up attacks on Moscow’s oil infrastructure.
The attack, which Ukraine’s general staff said took place on Friday, is one of a string of strikes targeting Russian drilling infrastructure in the Caspian Sea in recent weeks, but the first one that the Ukrainian military acknowledged officially. A drilling platform of the Filanovsky oil rig was damaged in the attack, according to the Ukrainian military. The rig came under drone attacks at least two more times in December.
Reuters was not able to confirm the report. Lukoil was not available for immediate comment.
Ukraine says that Russian oil infrastructure is a legitimate target since the trade revenue is Russia’s main source for financing its almost four-year-old full-on war against the country.
The general staff added that a military patrol ship was targeted in the strike as well, and the level of damage was being assessed.
Ukraine has been attacking Russian oil refineries throughout 2024 and 2025, but has visibly widened its campaign in recent weeks, claiming credit for sea-drone attacks on Russian shadow fleet tankers in the Black Sea and Mediterranean.
The attack, which Ukraine’s general staff said took place on Friday, is one of a string of strikes targeting Russian drilling infrastructure in the Caspian Sea in recent weeks, but the first one that the Ukrainian military acknowledged officially. A drilling platform of the Filanovsky oil rig was damaged in the attack, according to the Ukrainian military. The rig came under drone attacks at least two more times in December.
Reuters was not able to confirm the report. Lukoil was not available for immediate comment.
Ukraine says that Russian oil infrastructure is a legitimate target since the trade revenue is Russia’s main source for financing its almost four-year-old full-on war against the country.
The general staff added that a military patrol ship was targeted in the strike as well, and the level of damage was being assessed.
Ukraine has been attacking Russian oil refineries throughout 2024 and 2025, but has visibly widened its campaign in recent weeks, claiming credit for sea-drone attacks on Russian shadow fleet tankers in the Black Sea and Mediterranean.
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