President Trump and President Putin Speak by Phone to Discuss War in Ukraine

What Happened?

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone on Monday, marking the third time the two leaders have shared a call. Though details about the call such as the specific content or how long it lasted have not yet been made public, both U.S. and Russian officials have sought to manage expectations ahead of the discussion. 

U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance said he expects President Trump to ask President Putin ‘if he is serious about achieving peace’ in Ukraine. 

Why it Matters

The call between Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin comes after a week full of activity, both diplomatic and military with respect to the war in Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia held their first direct talks since the beginning of the war in 2022, and over the weekend Russia launched its largest ever drone strike on Kyiv. 

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators did not reach any new agreements, but they did agree to continue talks. The large-scale drone strike on Ukraine resulted in only a single fatality according to Ukrainian sources. The low death toll is likely due to a number of factors, such as early warnings and a population that is used to taking shelter quickly after the alarm has sounded.

President Trump expressed frustration with both sides, saying that he only wanted to ‘stop the killing.’ Unfortunately for the Trump Administration, Russian President Putin very likely does not want to stop the killing; if anything, he has indicated he wants it to continue. While diplomatic activity between Russian, European, American, and Ukrainian representatives have been ongoing, so has the Russian onslaught into Ukraine.

European officials have urged Mr. Trump to press Mr. Putin to accept at least a temporary cease fire, but Mr. Putin has repeatedly rebuffed such suggestions. Combat operations in Ukraine’s eastern regions have intensified in the past few weeks, with Ukrainian forces reporting an uptick in Russian attacks against their positions. Moscow has not confirmed these assessments, but tellingly it hasn’t denied them either.

Vice President Vance has suggested the U.S. could walk away from the negotiations if a solution isn’t found soon, suggesting the Trump Administration would then simply characterize it is ‘not our war.’ While President Trump could withdraw from peace talks, the war in Ukraine will remain a conflict the United States cannot simply ignore. 

How it Affects You

With war on the doorstep of NATO allies such as Poland and the Baltic States, the fighting in Ukraine will remain an American problem whether the United States wants it to or not. Any attack on a NATO country by Russian forces would trigger Article V of the NATO treaty, which would draw the U.S. into a direct war with Russia.