Trump informed Putin about talks with Zelenskyy, European leaders: Kremlin

WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump informed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin about his latest talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, the Kremlin said Monday.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the two presidents discussed the outcome of Trump’s talks in Washington on Monday, which followed their summit in Alaska on Friday aimed at ending Russia’s war on Ukraine.

According to Ushakov, Trump and Putin "spoke in favor of continuing direct negotiations between the delegations of the Russian Federation and Ukraine" and discussed the idea of "raising the level of direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations."

He added that both leaders agreed to maintain close contact on the Ukraine crisis and other "pressing issues."

"In a conversation with Trump, Putin noted the importance of the efforts undertaken by the US president to resolve the Ukrainian situation," Ushakov said, adding the Russian leader thanked Trump for "his hospitality and the good organization of the meeting in Alaska, as well as the progress achieved during it."

The Kremlin’s remarks came after Trump hosted Zelenskyy and leaders of European countries at the White House, where they discussed next steps in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

Among the officials who participated in the talks at the White House on Monday were UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also participated.

Trump also confirmed the conversation in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.

“At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy. After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself," he wrote.

"Again, this was a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years," he added.