Trump says US, Russia to immediately begin negotiations toward ending Ukraine conflict

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during a phone conversation earlier in the day that Washington and Moscow will immediately engage in direct negotiations aimed at ending the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

"I just had a lengthy and highly productive phone call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia," Trump said, offering his version of the content of the call in a post on Truth Social.

Trump said he and Putin agreed that "we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine."

"We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other's Nations. We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now," Trump said.

He said he has asked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff to lead the US team in the negotiations.

Trump said he felt "strongly" that the negotiations between the United States and Russia "will be successful."