• Kremlin aide says conversation between Putin, Trump took over 1 hour, organized at US president's initiative

ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he held a "productive" phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"I just had a good and very productive telephone call with President Putin of Russia prior to my meeting, at 1:00 P.M. today, with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

He added the meeting at 1800GMT will be open to press but did not provide any more details about the call.

Trump is set to host Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, to discuss the US plan to end the nearly four-year conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Zelenskyy arrived in the US on Saturday following a visit to neighboring Canada.

Commenting on the phone call between the Russian and US presidents, Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov specified the conversation took one hour and 15 minutes and was organized at Trump's initiative to discuss the "current situation in the context of the Ukrainian conflict and the potential for its resolution."

In remarks published by the Kremlin, Ushakov said Putin argued for the importance of continuing dialogue on a settlement for nearly four-year war based on understandings reached at the Alaska summit in August, as well as during numerous contacts between their representatives.

"Most importantly, the Russian and US presidents share broadly similar views that the temporary ceasefire proposed by the Ukrainians and Europeans, under the pretext of preparing for a referendum or other pretexts, will only prolong the conflict and risk a resumption of hostilities," Ushakov added.

He said that a halt to hostilities "requires, first and foremost, Kyiv to make a bold, responsible political decision, consistent with the ongoing work being carried out through the Russian-American channel."

"Donald Trump insisted on the need to end the war as quickly as possible, speaking of the impressive prospects for economic cooperation between the United States and both Russia and Ukraine," he said.

Ushakov noted that Putin and Trump agreed to the US side's proposal to continue efforts to resolve the situation around Ukraine within the framework of two specially created working groups, focused on security and economic issues, respectively.

"The terms for the launch of these working groups will be further agreed upon in the near future, likely in early January," Ushakov said, adding that the two presidents agreed to speak again after the talks between Trump and Zelenskyy.