Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin described his phone conversation with US President Donald Trump on Monday regarding the Ukraine crisis as “useful.” The call, which lasted more than two hours, was characterized by Putin as “very constructive and frank.”

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Putin expressed that the conversation was beneficial and emphasized the importance of both Russian and Ukrainian sides demonstrating a strong will to achieve peace and find agreeable settlements. He mentioned Moscow’s readiness to collaborate with Ukraine on a memorandum of understanding for future peace talks. Putin suggested that a ceasefire is attainable once agreements are reached and noted Trump’s acknowledgment of Russia’s support for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

US President Donald Trump, on his part, stated that his call with Putin was positive and signaled that Moscow and Kyiv would “immediately begin negotiations” to secure a ceasefire and resolve the crisis. Following his discussion with Putin, Trump communicated with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and leaders from the European Union, France, Italy, Germany, and Finland to inform them about the forthcoming negotiations.

Trump proposed that the new Vatican Pope, Pope Leo XIV, could host the talks, highlighting the Vatican’s keen interest in facilitating negotiations. He remarked that the dialogue with Putin was excellent in tone and spirit, and he mentioned Russia’s interest in establishing extensive trade relations with the United States post-crisis. Trump also indicated that Ukraine would benefit from trade during its reconstruction process.