Re: (14 Items) Putin’s statement to the media following a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump
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Sukla Sen
May 20, 2025, 5:32:32 AMMay 20
to Aaron Tovish, john hallam, Nuclearnews Group, John Hallam, foil-l, Discussion list about emerging world social movement
Hi Aaron,
For Putin, the root cause is that Ukraine is a "false country"/artificial state".
Ref.:
IV.
Sukla
Peace Is Doable
On Tue, May 20, 2025, 13:47 Aaron Tovish <aaron....@gmail.com> wrote:
"The main thing for us is to eliminate the root causes of this
crisis," Putin said. "We just need to determine the most effective
ways to move towards peace."Did Putin just propose that he resign?!ATOn Tue, May 20, 2025 at 9:07 AM john hallam <jhjohn...@gmail.com> wrote:Vladimir Putin’s statement to the media following a telephone
conversation with US President Donald Trump
Vladimir Putin made a statement to the media following a telephone
conversation with President of the United States of America Donald
Trump.
May 19, 2025
19:55
Sirius
4 of 4
Vladimir Putin’s statement to the media following a telephone
conversation with US President Donald Trump. Photo: Mikhail
Tereshenko, TASS
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/76953
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good evening.
Our colleagues asked me to briefly comment on the outcome of my
telephone conversation with the President of the United States.
See also
Composition of Russian Federation’s delegation for talks with Ukraine approved
May 14, 2025
Meeting on preparations for upcoming talks with Ukraine
May 15, 2025
This conversation has effectively taken place and lasted more than two
hours. I would like to emphasise that it was both substantive and
quite candid. Overall, I believe it was a very productive exchange.
First and foremost, I expressed my gratitude to the President of the
United States for the support provided by the United States in
facilitating the resumption of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine
aimed at potentially reaching a peace agreement and resuming the talks
which, as we know, were thwarted by the Ukrainian side in 2022.
The President of the United States shared his position on the
cessation of hostilities and the prospects for a ceasefire. For my
part, I noted that Russia also supports a peaceful settlement of the
Ukraine crisis as well. What we need now is to identify the most
effective ways towards achieving peace.
We agreed with the President of the United States that Russia would
propose and is ready to engage with the Ukrainian side on drafting a
memorandum regarding a potential future peace agreement. This would
include outlining a range of provisions, such as the principles for
settlement, the timeframe for a possible peace deal, and other
matters, including a potential temporary ceasefire, should the
necessary agreements be reached.
Contacts among participants of the Istanbul meeting and talks have
resumed, which gives reason to believe that we are on the right track
overall.
I would like to reiterate that the conversation was highly
constructive, and I assess it positively. The key issue, of course, is
now for the Russian side and the Ukrainian side to show their firm
commitment to peace and to forge a compromise that would be acceptable
to all parties.
Notably, Russia’s position is clear. Eliminating the root causes of
this crisis is what matters most to us.
Should any clarifications be necessary, Press Secretary [Dmitry]
Peskov and my aide, Mr Ushakov, will provide further details on
today’s telephone talks with President Trump.
Trump says Russia, Ukraine agree to immediate ceasefire talks, Kremlin
offers no timeframe
By Steve Holland, Guy Faulconbridge and Olena Harmash
May 20, 20252:40 PM GMT+10
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/china/trump-speak-putin-end-war-ukraine-europeans-demand-ceasefire-2025-05-19/
Summary
Russia ready to work with Ukraine on a memorandum about future peace talks
Zelenskiy calls for high-level talks with Russia, Western countries
Trump says Vatican interested in hosting talks
WASHINGTON/MOSCOW/KYIV, May 19 (Reuters) - Donald Trump said after his
call on Monday with President Vladimir Putin that Russia and Ukraine
will immediately start negotiations for a ceasefire, but the Kremlin
said the process would take time and the U.S. president indicated he
was not ready to join Europe with fresh sanctions to pressure Moscow.
In a social media post, Trump said he relayed the plan to Ukraine's
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as well as the leaders of the European
Union, France, Italy, Germany and Finland in a group call following
his session with the Russian leader.
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"Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a
Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War," Trump said,
adding later at the White House that he thought "some progress is
being made."
Putin thanked Trump for supporting the resumption of direct talks
between Moscow and Kyiv after the two sides met in Turkey last week
for their first face-to-face negotiations since March 2022. But after
the Monday call he said only that efforts were "generally on the right
track".
"We have agreed with the president of the United States that Russia
will propose and is ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a
memorandum on a possible future peace accord," Putin told reporters
near the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
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While the indications that Ukraine and Russia will continue direct
contacts speak of progress after more than three years of the war, the
Monday flurry of talks again failed to deliver on expectations for a
major breakthrough.
European leaders decided to increase pressure on Russia through
sanctions after Trump briefed them on his call with Putin, German
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in an X post late on Monday.
Trump did not appear ready to follow that move. Asked why he had not
imposed fresh sanctions to push Moscow into a peace deal as he had
threatened, Trump told reporters: "Well because I think there's a
chance of getting something done, and if you do that, you can also
make it much worse. But there could be a time where that's going to
happen."
Trump said there were "some big egos involved." Without progress, "I'm
just going to back away," he said, repeating a warning that he could
abandon the process. "This is not my war."
NO DEADLINE FOR AGREEMENTS
European leaders and Ukraine have demanded Russia agree to a ceasefire
immediately, and Trump has focused on getting Putin to commit to a
30-day truce. Putin has resisted this, insisting that conditions be
met first.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Trump and Putin did not discuss a
timeline for a ceasefire but did discuss trading nine Russians for
nine Americans in a prisoner swap. He said the U.S. leader called
prospects for ties between Moscow and Washington "impressive."
Russian state news agencies cited Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov
as saying that Moscow and Kyiv faced "complex contacts" to develop a
unified text of a peace and ceasefire memorandum.
"There are no deadlines and there cannot be any. It is clear that
everyone wants to do this as quickly as possible, but, of course, the
devil is in the details," the RIA agency quoted him as saying.
Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt said on X the call with Trump
was "undoubtedly a win for Putin."
Item 1 of 6 Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with journalists
following a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump at the Sirius
educational centre for gifted children near Sochi in the Krasnodar
region, Russia, May 19, 2025. Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via
REUTERS
[1/6]Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with journalists following
a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump at the Sirius
educational centre for gifted children near Sochi in the Krasnodar
region, Russia, May 19, 2025. Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via
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The Russian leader "deflected the call for an ... immediate ceasefire
and instead can continue military operations at the same time as he
puts pressure on at the negotiating table," he said.
HIGH-LEVEL MEETING
After speaking with Trump, Zelenskiy said Kyiv and its partners might
seek a high-level meeting among Ukraine, Russia, the United States,
European Union countries and Britain as part of a push to end the war.
"Ukraine is ready for direct negotiations with Russia in any format
that brings results," Zelenskiy said on X.
He said that this could be hosted by Turkey, the Vatican or
Switzerland. It was not immediately clear if this would be part of the
negotiations Trump said would start immediately.
Trump said Pope Leo had expressed interest in hosting the negotiations
at the Vatican. The Vatican did not immediately respond to a request
for comment.
The Kremlin's Peskov said Putin and Trump discussed direct contacts
between the Russian leader and Zelenskiy. Moscow also welcomed the
Vatican's proposal, but no decision had been made on a place for
"possible future contacts," he added.
One person familiar with Trump's call with the Ukrainian and European
leaders said participants were "shocked" that Trump did not want to
push Putin with sanctions.
In a post on X, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
said only that the conversation with Trump was "good" and it was
"important that the U.S. stays engaged."
Ukraine and its supporters have accused Russia of failing to negotiate
in good faith, doing the minimum needed to keep Trump from applying
new pressure on its economy.
If Trump were to impose new sanctions, it would be a milestone moment
given that he has appeared sympathetic towards Russia and torn up the
pro-Ukraine policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden.
Prodded by Trump, delegates from the warring countries met last week
in Istanbul for the first time since 2022, but the talks failed to
broker a truce. Hopes faded after Putin spurned Zelenskiy's proposal
to meet face to face there.
Putin, whose forces control a fifth of Ukraine and are advancing, has
stood firm on his conditions for ending the war, including the
withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from four Ukrainian regions Russia
claims.
He said the memorandum Russia and Ukraine would work on about a future
peace accord would define "a number of positions, such as, for
example, the principles of settlement, the timing of a possible peace
agreement."
"The main thing for us is to eliminate the root causes of this
crisis," Putin said. "We just need to determine the most effective
ways to move towards peace."
Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Vladimir Soldatkin in Moscow, Max
Hunder and Tom Balmforth in Kyiv, Maxim Rodionov in London, Steve
Holland, Susan Heavey, Rami Ayyub and David Brunnstrom in Washington;
Lidia Kelly in Melbourne and Ron Popeski in Winnipeg; Editing by
Cynthia Osterman and Stephen Coates
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Guy Faulconbridge
Thomson Reuters
As Moscow bureau chief, Guy runs coverage of Russia and the
Commonwealth of Independent States. Before Moscow, Guy ran Brexit
coverage as London bureau chief (2012-2022). On the night of Brexit,
his team delivered one of Reuters historic wins - reporting news of
Brexit first to the world and the financial markets. Guy graduated
from the London School of Economics and started his career as an
intern at Bloomberg. He has spent over 14 years covering the former
Soviet Union. He speaks fluent Russian.
After Putin call, Trump says Russia, Ukraine will start ceasefire talks
US president says two sides will ‘immediately’ start talks to reach a
truce, as Putin says efforts on ‘right track’.
US President Donald Trump (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin
(right) held a more-than-two-hour call on Monday, May 19 [File: Photos
by Drew Angerer and Gavriil Grigorov /Various sources/AFP]
Published On 19 May 202519 May 2025
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/19/after-putin-call-trump-says-russia-ukraine-will-start-ceasefire-talks
United States President Donald Trump has said, after a
more-than-two-hour call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, that
Moscow and Kyiv “will immediately start negotiations” toward a
ceasefire and an end to their war, now in its fourth bloody year.
Putin said that efforts to end the conflict seemed “on the right
track” and that Moscow was ready to work with Ukraine on a memorandum
about a future peace accord.
Putin thanked Trump for supporting the resumption of direct talks
between Russia and Ukraine, and said that Trump noted Russia’s support
for peace, though the key question was how to move towards peace.
“We have agreed with the president of the United States that Russia
will propose and is ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a
memorandum on a possible future peace accord, defining a number of
positions, such as, for example, the principles of settlement, [and]
the timing of a possible peace agreement,” Putin told reporters near
the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
If appropriate agreements are reached, then there could be a
ceasefire, Putin said, adding that direct talks between Russia and
Ukraine “give reason to believe that we are generally on the right
track”.
Ukraine's Zelenskyy met with JD Vance at the Vatican to discuss
ceasefire progress
“I would like to note that, on the whole, Russia’s position is clear.
The main thing for us is to eliminate the root causes of this crisis,”
Putin said. “We just need to determine the most effective ways to move
towards peace.”
Comments released by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov early Tuesday,
quoted by Russia’s state news agencies, suggested no urgency from
Moscow’s side to next steps.
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“There are no deadlines and there cannot be any. It is clear that
everyone wants to do this as quickly as possible, but, of course, the
devil is in the details,” Peskov said.
For his part, Trump said the call went very well. In a post on Truth
Social, he said that the Vatican, “as represented by the Pope, has
stated that it would be very interested in hosting the negotiations.
Let the process begin!”
Later on Monday, Trump said “it would be great” to hold ceasefire
talks at the Vatican as it would add extra significance to the
proceedings.
Describing his phone call with Putin, Trump said he told him: “When
are we going to end this, Vladimir?” He added that there could be a
time when sanctions are imposed on Russia, without providing more
details.
Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova, reporting from Moscow, said the call
was “very important” for Putin.
“He [Putin] believes that the US – because of its influence – can
resolve any problems. Vladimir Putin believes that initially the US
was standing behind Ukraine in this conflict, masterminding it,”
Shapovalova said.
“So, to address the so-called root causes of the conflict, it was
important to speak directly with Donald Trump and with the US.”
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Diplomatic momentum
Trump briefed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European
leaders on the call. Zelenskyy has insisted that if Putin doesn’t
commit to a ceasefire, stronger sanctions on Russia should be imposed.
The Ukrainian president said his country is ready to hold negotiations
with Russia in Turkiye, Switzerland or the Vatican, renewing Kyiv’s
call for a “full and unconditional ceasefire”.
“It is not necessary to convince Ukraine, and our representatives are
prepared to make real decisions in negotiations,” Zelenskyy said in a
statement. “What’s needed is a mirrored readiness from Russia to
engage in meaningful talks.”
Zelenskyy also called for continued US engagement to resolve the
conflict, saying it is crucial the US “does not distance itself” from
the talks.
Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said European and US
leaders have welcomed Pope Leo XIV’s readiness to host Russia-Ukraine
talks at the Vatican.
Meloni’s office said European leaders, including Zelenskyy, French
President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, spoke
to Trump after his call with Putin.
“Work is under way to immediately start negotiations between the
parties that can lead to a ceasefire as soon as possible and build the
conditions for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” Meloni’s office
said in a statement.
“In this regard, the Holy Father’s willingness to host the talks at
the Vatican was considered positive. Italy is ready to do its part to
facilitate contacts and work for peace,” the statement added.
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Finnish President Alexander Stubb stressed the importance of US-Europe
“coordination”, saying the call between Trump and European leaders
lasted for one hour and was “productive”.
Trump, who has promised to bring a swift end to Europe’s deadliest war
since World War II, has repeatedly called for a ceasefire after years
in which Washington joined other Western countries in arming Ukraine.
Putin recently rejected an offer by Zelenskyy to meet in person in
Turkiye, for talks between the two nations that the Russian leader
suggested himself, as an alternative to a 30-day ceasefire urged by
Ukraine and its Western allies, including Washington.
Those inconclusive direct talks – the first in three years, between
delegations from Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on Friday – were brief
and only yielded an agreement to swap 1,000 prisoners of war,
according to the heads of both delegations, in what would be their
biggest such exchange since the war began.
A senior Ukrainian official familiar with the talks said Russian
negotiators demanded that Kyiv pull its troops out of all its regions
claimed by Moscow before they would agree to a ceasefire. That is a
red line for Ukraine, and as it stands, Russia does not have full
control in those regions.
Ukraine’s intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, told Ukrainian
television on Saturday that the exchanges could happen as early as
this week.
While wrapping up his four-day trip to the Middle East, Trump said on
Friday that Putin had not gone to Istanbul because Trump himself
wasn’t there.
“He and I will meet, and I think we’ll solve it or maybe not,” Trump
told reporters after boarding Air Force One. “At least we’ll know. And
if we don’t solve it, it’ll be very interesting.”
European leaders have said they want the US to join them in imposing
tough new sanctions on Russia if it continues to refuse a ceasefire.
The leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Italy spoke to Trump on
Sunday ahead of his call with Putin.
Al Jazeera’s John Hendren, reporting from Kyiv, said there has been
muted reaction in Ukraine so far.
“There’s probably not going to be a lot of celebrations unless the
details are much more revealing than what we’ve seen so far,” Hendren
said.
The calls have taken place a day after Russia launched its largest
drone attack on Ukraine since the start of the war.
Ukraine’s intelligence service said it also believed Moscow intended
to fire an intercontinental ballistic missile on Sunday, though there
was no confirmation from Russia that it had done so.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
Trump's call with Putin exposes shifting ground on Ukraine peace talks
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4ge7jq0px2o
8 hours ago
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Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent•@awzurcher
Reporting fromWashington DC
1:00
Watch: Trump believes Putin wants to make Ukraine ceasefire deal
Last year, Donald Trump promised he would end the Ukraine War in "24 hours".
Last week, he said that it would not be resolved until he and Russian
President Vladimir Putin could "get together" and hash it out in
person.
On Monday, the ground shifted again.
After a two-hour phone call with Putin, he said that the conditions of
a peace deal could only be negotiated between Russia and Ukraine – and
maybe with the help of the Pope.
Still, the US president has not lost his sense of optimism about the
prospect for peace, posting on social media that the combatants would
"immediately start" negotiations for a ceasefire and an end to the
war.
That sentiment was somewhat at odds with the Russian view. Putin only
said that his country is ready to work with Ukraine to craft a
"memorandum on a possible future peace agreement".
Talks about memorandums and a "possible future" of peace hardly seems
the kind of solid ground on which lasting deals can be quickly built.
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Bloomberg via Getty Images
Russia and Ukraine to 'immediately' start ceasefire talks, says Trump
Trump says he will call Putin to discuss stopping Ukraine 'bloodbath'
Rosenberg: Trump-Putin call seen as victory in Russia
Putin again emphasised that any resolution would have to address the
"root causes" of the war – which Russia has claimed in the past to be
Ukraine's desire for closer ties to Europe.
On Truth Social after the call, Trump said that Russia and Ukraine
will "immediately start negotiations" toward a ceasefire, adding that
"the conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties".
But there is a possibility that Trump's latest take on the war in
Ukraine could be a sign that the US will ultimately abandon the
negotiating table.
Later on Monday, Trump said he would not step away from brokering
talks between the two countries, but acknowledged that he had a "red
line in his head".
"Big egos involved, but I think something's going to happen," he said.
"And if it doesn't, I'll just back away and they'll have to keep
going."
Such a move, however, comes with its own set of questions – and risks.
If the US washes its hands of the war, as Vice-President JD Vance and
Secretary of State Marco Rubio have also threatened, does it mean the
US would also end any military and intelligence support for Ukraine?
And if that is the case, then it may be a development that Russia,
with its greater resources compared to a Ukraine cut off from American
backing, would welcome.
That prospect is enough to have Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky
concerned.
"It's crucial for all of us that the United States does not distance
itself from the talks and the pursuit of peace," he said on Monday
after the Trump-Putin call.
Trump's frantic peace brokering hints at what he really wants
Trump has expressed frustration with both Putin and Zelensky as
efforts to resolve the three-year-old conflict drag on.
He accused the Ukrainian leader of "gambling with World War Three" in
an explosive meeting in February in the Oval Office and, in April,
said he was "very angry" and "pissed off" at Putin after talks
continued to stall.
Putting aside Monday's rhetoric, it appears that Ukraine and Russia
are set to continue some kind of talks – and talking in any form is
progress after nearly three years of war. Still to be determined is
whether the Russian team will be more than the low-level delegation
that travelled to Istanbul to meet with the Ukrainians last Friday.
Trump is holding out the promise of reduced sanctions on Russia – and
new trade deals and economic investment – as the enticement that will
move Putin toward a peace agreement. He mentioned that again in his
post-call comments. Not discussed, on the other hand, were any
negative consequences, such as new sanctions on Russian banking and
energy exports.
The US president last month warned that he would not tolerate Putin
"tapping me along" and said that Russia should not target civilian
areas. But yesterday, Russia launched its largest drone strike of the
war on Ukrainian cities, and Monday's call between the two world
leaders makes clear that any ceasefire or peace deal still seems well
over the horizon.
Anton Gerashchenko
@Gerashchenko_en
·
11h
Here is the full statement Putin made after his two-hour phone call
with President Trump. I've made English subtitles for you. Note this
quote: "We should simply identify the most effective ways to move
toward peace. We have agreed with the President of the United States
that Russia will propose and is ready to work with the Ukrainian side
on a memorandum on a possible future peace treaty defining several
points, such as, for example, the principles of settlement, the terms
of a possible conclusion of the peace agreement and so on, including a
possible ceasefire for a certain period of time if appropriate
agreements are reached." In essence, Putin is stalling for time. He
doesn't want a ceasefire, he doesn't want to stop the war. Putin won't
stop himself. He must be stopped.
19 may 25
Trump, Putin to Talk as Ukraine, Europe Push for Immediate Ceasefire
https://www.rsn.org/001/trump-putin-to-talk-as-ukraine-europe-push-for-immediate-ceasefire.html
Robyn Dixon, Serhiy Morgunov, Ellen Francis and Michael Birnbaum/The
Washington PostPresident Trump, left, and Russian President Vladimir
Putin. (photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)
go to original / print version / subscribe / donate
19 may 25
European leaders spoke with President Donald Trump on Sunday to urge
him to pressure Vladimir Putin to agree to a 30-day ceasefire in
Ukraine.
President Donald Trump is holding a highly anticipated phone call
Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war
in Ukraine as the White House describes the U.S. leader as “weary and
frustrated with both sides” of the conflict and his vice president
said the talks are at an “impasse.”
The call comes after one of Russia’s largest drone assaults on Ukraine
— nearly 400 launched over the weekend — and a flurry of diplomacy, as
Ukrainian and European officials sought to convince the Trump
administration of the need for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire
and to ramp up pressure on Russia to take serious steps toward peace.
Trump has framed the peace agreement as a negotiation primarily
between Moscow and Washington, raising concerns that the two leaders
could agree on a deal that suits Russia but fails to protect Ukrainian
security and independence, setting the scene for another Russian
invasion in the future.
On Friday, Russia and Ukraine held their first direct talks since the
early weeks of the war, but aside from a prisoner swap, they agreed
only to continue negotiating over a possible ceasefire. Trump endorsed
the talks but then diminished their importance before they began,
declaring that nothing would be resolved until he and Putin spoke
directly.
Speaking before the phone call from Air Force Two, Vice President JD
Vance told reporters that “we want to see outcomes.”
“We realize there’s a bit of an impasse here, and I think the
president’s going to say to President Putin, look, are you serious?
Are you real about this?”
He said that participants needed to move past the mistakes of the past
and “if Russia is not willing to do that, then we’re eventually just
gonna have to say, this is not our war.”
Vance has previously threatened that the U.S. would walk away from the
negotiations. On Friday, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said
“the president has made it clear his goal is to see a ceasefire and to
see this conflict come to an end and he’s grown weary and frustrated
with both sides of the conflict.”
Despite concessions from the Trump administration, Putin has
repeatedly brushed off pressure for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire,
and Ukraine is prepared for the likelihood that Putin would continue
to drag out the process, pushing for conditions that Kyiv sees as
unacceptable, Ukrainian officials said.
“We have conveyed to the American side — and we are convinced this is
true — that Ukraine has taken far more real steps toward peace than
Russia,” a Ukrainian official familiar with the negotiations said
Monday, adding that the phone call was an important attempt to
reinvigorate the peace process.
“Ukraine seeks a complete and unconditional ceasefire for an extended
period. In other words, we aim to stop the killing, as President Trump
puts it, and we fully share this logic. The killing must stop, and
only then can the peace process move forward,” he said, speaking on
the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Russia targeted Ukraine with at least 112 drones overnight Sunday into
Monday, following the largest drone attack since 2022 on the previous
night, when Russia fired 273 drones, killing 27-year-old Hanna
Yefimenko as she shielded her 4-year-old son Marko, who was also
injured, in the town of Vasylkiv, southwest of Kyiv.
Oleksandr Serhiyovych, 40, a neighbor of Yefimenko, said the boy had
sustained an eye injury.
“I can’t even imagine how this war will end. This isn’t life. I have
nothing to say until this war is over — because right now, life
doesn’t exist,” he said.
Another resident, Serhiy Boiko, 37, whose house was destroyed in the
attack, said Trump had failed to stop the war and expressed
exasperation at the whole process of talks.
“During these so-called ceasefires, they just build more drones, and
then civilians end up paying the price. What we need is real peace and
some kind of security — real security guarantees.”
Trump said he would talk to Zelensky and NATO leaders after speaking
to Putin — his third conversation with the Russian leader this year.
With Putin projecting confidence of victory over Ukraine, Russia has
so far tried to use the peace talks to achieve what it has not been
able to gain through its invasion, repeating its demand Friday that
Ukraine give up land not even occupied by Russia and threatening to
wage war for decades if necessary.
“Certainly, we’d prefer to achieve our goals by political and
diplomatic means,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday. He
said Russia launched its 2022 invasion after NATO refused to accept
Russian demands.
“However, if the U.S. mediation efforts, which we value highly and are
grateful for to the American side, really help us achieve our goals by
peaceful means, well, naturally, this is preferable,” Peskov said.
Trump and other U.S. officials have threatened tougher sanctions
against Russia if Putin shows he has no genuine interest in peace, but
the Trump administration has so far done little to increase the
pressure on Russia, instead pressing Ukraine to give up territory
occupied by Russia and to accept that it will not be able join NATO.
Kyiv officials are hoping Trump will insist that Putin accepts an
unconditional ceasefire, but that appears a long shot given that Putin
has repeatedly ruled this out. He has set tough conditions, including
a halt to Western arms deliveries to Ukraine and a bar on Kyiv
recruiting for its military.
These conditions would give Moscow a major advantage, including the
potential to rebuild its own military capacity before possibly
resuming hostilities. Russia has recently massively boosted its
military recruitment, and its factories continue to pump out weapons
and ammunition.
As part of the diplomatic efforts on the weekend, Vance and Secretary
of State Marco Rubio met Zelensky in Rome on Sunday. Ukrainian
presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said they had “a very
substantive conversation.”
Zelensky said he emphasized the importance of a full, unconditional
ceasefire as soon as possible.
“Pressure is needed against Russia until they are eager to stop the
war. And, of course, we talked about our joint steps to achieve a just
and durable peace,” Zelensky wrote on X.
Also Sunday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President
Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime
Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke to Trump by phone, warning against
rushing into a deal without substantial Russian concessions.
“The leaders discussed the need for an unconditional ceasefire and for
President Putin to take peace talks seriously,” Starmer’s office said
afterward. They discussed using sanctions “if Russia failed to engage
seriously in a ceasefire and peace talks.”
Before last week’s talks in Istanbul, European officials had been
hopeful that their diplomatic efforts could persuade the Trump
administration to give Russia an ultimatum: Accept a 30-day ceasefire
or face fresh sanctions.
Zelensky and European leaders believed that Trump was leaning toward
new sanctions if the Kremlin rebuffed U.S. calls for an immediate
ceasefire last week, according to three European diplomats who spoke
on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. But
Friday’s ultimately inconclusive talks in Istanbul, called for by
Putin and backed by Trump, sidetracked those plans.
European leaders blasted Russia’s demands at the Istanbul talks and
have maintained threats of more U.S. and European sanctions if Russia
continues to reject a ceasefire.
But the U.S. flip-flopping has baffled officials and left them
wondering whether Trump will follow through on pressuring the Kremlin
into a truce.
Some Ukrainian politicians were also pessimistic that Trump’s phone
call to Putin on Monday would produce any positive results, noting
that the U.S. president often backs his Russian counterpart’s views
after they speak.
“For some reason, Trump believes he has a good relationship with
Putin, while in reality, Putin is simply using him and even
humiliating him, trying to show that Trump is neither consistent nor a
strong leader,” said Oleksandr Merezhko, a Ukrainian lawmaker and
chairman of parliament’s foreign policy committee.
The Kremlin has so far succeeded in offering just enough progress to
avoid being blamed by Trump for refusing an unconditional ceasefire.
Last week’s peace talks did lead to agreements to swap 1,000 Russian
prisoners of war for 1,000 Ukrainian ones and to continue talking.
In Rome on Sunday, the head of the E.U.’s executive branch, Ursula von
der Leyen, said this week would “be crucial” in the peace process.
While the Istanbul talks upended Europe’s plans for ultimatums, one
European diplomat said Washington has not abandoned the prospect of
sanctions in the bid for a ceasefire. “The Americans are seriously
thinking about raising the pressure on Russia,” he said, “especially
if this war drags on for weeks.”
A Russia-NATO War Would Look Nothing Like Ukraine
19 May 2025
https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/05/19/russia-nato-war-putin-ukraine-nuclear-strategy-baltics/?tpcc=editors_picks&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Editors%20Picks%2005192025&utm_term=editors_picks
Moscow will seek to avoid a full-on war and focus on breaking the
bloc’s resolve.
By Fabian Hoffmann, a research fellow at the Oslo Nuclear Project at
the University of Oslo.
U.S. Marines take part in the international military exercise Cold
Response 22 near Sandstrand in northern Norway on March 21, 2022.U.S.
Marines take part in the international military exercise Cold Response
22 near Sandstrand in northern Norway on March 21, 2022. JONATHAN
NACKSTRAND/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
My FP: Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like.
Exclusively for FP subscribers. Subscribe Now | Log In
MAY 19, 2025, 9:10 AM
Russia planned its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine as a decisive,
three-day campaign that would take its troops into Kyiv and quickly
topple the Ukrainian government. More than three years later, that
scenario remains a Russian pipedream. Suffering horrific casualties
and losses of equipment, Russian forces are bogged down along a static
front line hundreds of miles from Kyiv. While Russia has made
incremental tactical gains over the past year, there is absolutely no
sign of a military breakthrough anytime soon.
Farther west, European NATO states are scrambling to rearm. Several
NATO defense chiefs warn that the alliance must be ready to confront a
Russian attack on one or more of the bloc’s members within three to
seven years. More starkly, Danish officials have warned that Russia
could launch some sort of attack within six months of the war in
Ukraine slowing or ending.
Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump says ceasefire talks will begin
immediately but Putin refuses to give timeline
20 May 2025
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-live-trump-putin-call-ceasefire-latest-b2754146.html
Kremlin says Putin and Trump discussed direct contacts between the
Russian president and Ukraine's Zelensky
Arpan Rai,Athena Stavrou
Tuesday 20 May 2025 05:30 BST
1946Comments
Putin addresses Russia Ukraine ceasefire hopes after phone call with Trump
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Donald Trump has said Russia and Ukraine will “immediately” begin
ceasefire negotiations after a two-hour phone call with Vladimir
Putin, only for Russia to deny that it has presented a timeline for
ending the war.
Mr Trump said he asked his Russian counterpart: "When are we going to
end this, Vladimir?"
Shortly after the US president lauded his call with Mr Putin as
“excellent”, the Kremlin's foreign policy aide and top diplomat Yuri
Ushakov said there had been no talk about a timeframe for a ceasefire
in Ukraine to begin.
Moscow claimed that Mr Putin was now ready to work towards peace and
on a memorandum about future peace talks.
After his call with Mr Putin, Mr Trump spoke with Ukrainian president
Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders in hopes of making progress
towards a ceasefire.
He also claimed that talks between Russia and Ukraine could be hosted
by the Vatican. “Let the process begin,” he wrote in a Truth Social
post.
RECOMMENDED
Putin is again pulling the strings over Ukraine - fresh peace talks
will lead to nowhere
Trump says Putin call went ‘very well’ and suggests talks between
Russia and Ukraine will start ‘immediately’
Putin addresses Russia Ukraine ceasefire hopes after phone call with Trump
Video shows devastation wreaked by Russia’s ‘largest drone attack’
KEY POINTS
Trump says it would be 'great' to have Russia-Ukraine talks at the Vatican
Trump suggests talks between Russia and Ukraine will start ‘immediately’
59 minutes ago
Watch: Zelensky makes pledge after Putin and Trump hold two-hour ceasefire call
Zelensky makes pledge after Putin and Trump hold two-hour ceasefire call
Arpan Rai20 May 2025 06:00
1 hour ago
Recap: Putin and Trump discuss peace and trade in two hour phone call
On Monday, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin sat down and spoke for two
hours over the phone.
Both leaders said the call was a success, with Putin agreeing to work
towards a peace deal with Ukraine.
Here is an overview of the call:
- The call began at around 3:30pm UK time, and lasted for two hours.
- The pair spoke over an encrypted line, Putin from Russia's Black Sea
resort of Sochi and Trump in Washington.
- Putin said the call was “very informative and helpful”.
- Moscow said it was ready to work with Ukraine on a memorandum about
future peace talks, as Trump said negotiations will now begin
“immediately”.
- Trump said the call went “very well” and spoke to several world
leaders Volodymyr Zelensky, Emmanuel Macron and Giorgia Meloni after
he spoke with Putin.
US president Donald Trump listens as prime minister Keir Starmer of
Britain speaks to him on the speaker phone in the Oval Office at the
White House (Getty Images)
- He also said that ceasefire negotiations could be held by the Vatican.
- They are said to have addressed each other by their first names, and
Putin congratulated Trump on the birth of his latest grandson, Kremlin
foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said.
- The pair also discussed a potential US-Russia trade deal, which
Trump said was a possibility once the war was over.
- They also discussed a potential new prisoner swap during the call,
as Ushakov said the two countries were working out details of an
exchange involving nine people on each side.
- After the call, Zelensky said it was possible that leaders from
Ukraine, Russia, US, EU and UK leaders could meet.
Arpan Rai20 May 2025 05:45
1 hour ago
Vance says Putin 'doesn't quite know how to get out of the war'
Shortly before Donald Trump called Russian president Vladimir Putin,
US vice president JD Vance told reporters that Washington recognised
there was "a bit of an impasse here".
"And I think the president's going to say to president Putin: 'Look,
are you serious? Are you real about this?'" Mr Vance said as he
prepared to depart from a visit to Italy.
"I think honestly that president Putin, he doesn't quite know how to
get out of the war," Mr Vance said.
He said it "takes two to tango. I know the president's willing to do
that, but if Russia is not willing to do that, then we're eventually
just going to say, 'This is not our war.'"
"We're going to try to end it, but if we can't end it, we're
eventually going to say: 'You know what? That was worth a try, but
we're not doing any more.'"
Vice president JD Vance talks to reporters on board of the Air Force
Two at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Rome (AP)
Arpan Rai20 May 2025 05:30
1 hour ago
Everything Trump has said about his phone call with Putin
Donald Trump has said Russia and Ukraine “will immediately start
negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the
War” after he spoke to Russian president Vladimir Putin yesterday.
Mr Trump spoke to his Russian counterpart in a two-hour long call
where the two discussed expanding trade once the Ukraine war is over.
Here’s everything Mr Trump has said after the call:
On fresh sanctions to push Moscow into a peace deal:
"Well because I think there's a chance of getting something done, and
if you do that, you can also make it much worse. But there could be a
time where that's going to happen.”
On ending US-led peace efforts:
Mr Trump said there were "some big egos involved." Without progress,
"I'm just going to back away," he said, repeating a warning that he
could abandon the process. "This is not my war."
“... (I) have a red line in my head on when I’ll stop pushing on
Russia-Ukraine,” he said.
On peace talks at the Vatican:
Mr Trump said the Vatican, "as represented by the Pope, has stated
that it would be very interested in hosting the negotiations. Let the
process begin!"
US president Donald Trump answers reporters' questions in the Oval
Office of the White House (Getty Images)
Arpan Rai20 May 2025 05:22
1 hour ago
Putin is again pulling the strings over Ukraine - these peace talks
will lead nowhere
Vladimir Putin was quick on the draw with an announcement that said
nothing after his two-hour phone call with Donald Trump, as the
Russian president grabbed the narrative before the Oval Office had
figured out what the story even was.
Donald Trump claims his two-hour phone call with Vladimir Putin went
‘very well’, but it is the Russian president who calls the shots,
writes Sam Kiley, The Independent’s world affairs editor:
Putin pulls the strings over Ukraine - fresh peace talks will lead nowhere
Donald Trump claims his two-hour phone call with Vladimir Putin went
‘very well’, but it is the Russian president who calls the shots,
writes Sam Kiley, The Independent’s world affairs editor
Arpan Rai20 May 2025 05:14
2 hours ago
Putin and Trump discussed 'impressive' prospects for US-Russia ties,
Kremlin says
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump discussed the "impressive" prospects
for improving ties between their two countries in a phone call on
Monday, the Kremlin has said.
Mr Putin's foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that the
two leaders had not discussed a timeline for a ceasefire in Ukraine,
but that Trump had stressed his interest in reaching agreements
quickly.
"The presidents also spoke in some detail about the future of our
relations, and President Trump, I can say, spoke quite emotionally
about the prospects for these relations," Ushakov said.
"He specifically emphasised that the prospects for bilateral relations
after the Ukrainian conflict is resolved look impressive, and that as
the president of the United States, he sees Russia as one of America's
most important partners in trade and economic matters."
US president Donald Trump and Russia's president Vladimir Putin shake
hands as they meet in Helsinki (Reuters)
Arpan Rai20 May 2025 04:40
2 hours ago
Trump says it would be 'great' to have Russia-Ukraine talks at the Vatican
Donald Trump has said "it would be great" for Russia and Ukraine to
hold ceasefire talks at the Vatican, saying it would add extra
significance to the proceedings.
“The Vatican, as represented by the Pope, has stated that it would be
very interested in hosting the negotiations. Let the process begin!”
the US president said.
The Vatican has not issued a comment on Mr Trump’s remarks yet.
Volodymyr Zelensky, who has already met Pope Leo XIV twice now and
spoken to him on the phone, welcomed the Vatican as a possible venue
to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
"Ukraine is ready for direct negotiations with Russia in any format
that brings results," Mr Zelensky said on X. He said that this could
be hosted by Turkey, the Vatican or Switzerland.
The Vatican has a tradition of diplomatic neutrality and has long
offered its services, and venues, to try to help facilitate talks.
This combination photos shows Pope Leo XIV at the central balcony of
St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican and president Donald Trump during
an event in the Roosevelt Room at the White House (AP)
Arpan Rai20 May 2025 04:02
3 hours ago
Trump says Putin call went ‘very well’ and suggests talks between
Russia and Ukraine will start ‘immediately’
Donald Trump has said Russia and Ukraine will “immediately” begin
ceasefire talks with the aim of bringing an end to the war as he
divulged details of his highly-anticipated phone calls with leaders of
the two nations yesterday.
In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said the call with Russian
president Vladimir Putin went “very well” and the conditions of the
ceasefire would be “negotiated between the two parties, as it can only
be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would
be aware of” and suggested that talks between the two nations could be
hosted at the Vatican following an offer by Pope Leo XIV, the
recently-elected American-born pontiff.
Andrew Feinberg in Washington, DC has the full story:
Trump says Putin call went ‘very well’ with peace talks to start ‘immediately’
Clément Molin
@clement_molin
Russian armed forces started their first strategically important
maneuver of 2025. After months of preparation, Russian army is trying
to cut the Pokrovsk-Kostiantynivka frontline, breaching the Donbass
front in the middle. THREAD1/16
2:40 AM · May 20, 2025·
783.3K
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Post your reply
Reply
Clément Molin
@clement_molin
·
13h
After months of struggle west of Pokrovsk and in Toretsk, russian army
switched its offensive potential to the Ocheretyne frontline. After a
striking progress of nearly 10km 3 weeks ago, they are now pushing
north, farther than the Pokrovsk-Kostiantynivka highway.
0:00 / 0:54
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Clément Molin
@clement_molin
·
13h
Russian army captured in a few days Myrolyubivka, Malynivka, Nova
Poltavka, Novoolenivka and Oleksandropil. This fast advance allowed
them to get through an important fortified line on the
Pokrovsk-Kostiantynivka highway.
1
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Clément Molin
@clement_molin
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13h
Russian army entrance into Myrolyubivka also shows they want to
continue north to Novoekonomichne to further enter Myrnorhod or
encircle Pokrovsk from the west.
0:00 / 2:01
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Clément Molin
@clement_molin
·
13h
This long waited manoeuver by russian forces may be strategically
important at the scale of the battle in Donbass. They could continue
north to Droujkivka, significantly cutting Pokrovsk and Dnipropetrovsk
oblast from Kostiantynivka and Kramatorsk. (map
@UAControlMap
)
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Clément Molin
@clement_molin
·
13h
After this progress, multiple hypothesis could happen. The most
evident would be an offensive from the heigh ground to Droujkivka and
Kostiantynivka, forcing a large ukrainian retreat from central Donbass
and preparing the battle for Kramatorsk.
Ukraine, Russia to start truce talks ‘immediately’: Trump
Guy Faulconbridge and Susan Heavey
May 20, 2025 – 7.23am
https://www.afr.com/world/europe/trump-speaks-to-putin-amid-impasse-on-ending-war-in-ukraine-20250520-p5m0kh
Washington | Moscow | US President Donald Trump said Russia and
Ukraine will immediately start ceasefire negotiations in the
three-year-old conflict, but he did not appear to secure major
concessions from President Vladimir Putin during a two-hour phone
call.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he relayed the plan
for talks to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky as well as the
leaders of the European Union, France, Italy, Germany and Finland in a
group call following his session with Putin.
Loading
“Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a
ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the war,” Trump said on
Monday (Tuesday AEST), adding later at the White House he thought that
“some progress is being made”.
After speaking to Trump, Putin offered no substantive change in the
Kremlin’s stance, saying only that efforts to end the war were
“generally on the right track” and Moscow was ready to work with
Ukraine on a potential peace deal.
“We have agreed with the president of the United States that Russia
will propose and is ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a
memorandum on a possible future peace accord,” he told reporters near
the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
Advertisement
European leaders and Ukraine have demanded Russia agree to a ceasefire
immediately, and Trump has focused on getting Putin to commit to a
30-day truce. But Putin has resisted that, insisting that conditions
be met first.
Former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt said on X the call with Trump
was “undoubtedly a win for Putin”. The Russian leader “deflected the
call for an … immediate ceasefire and instead can continue military
operations at the same time as he puts pressure on at the negotiating
table”.
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin
discussed the Ukraine war in a two-hour phone call. Getty
After speaking with Trump, Zelensky said Kyiv and its partners might
seek a high-level meeting among Ukraine, Russia, the United States,
European Union countries and Britain as part of a push to end the war.
He said he hoped this could happen soon and be hosted by Turkey, the
Vatican or Switzerland. It was not immediately clear if this would be
part of the negotiations Trump said would start immediately.
Trump said the Vatican, “as represented by the Pope, has stated that
it would be very interested in hosting the negotiations. Let the
process begin!” The Vatican did not immediately respond to a request
for comment.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the
conversation with Trump was “good” and it was “important that the US
stays engaged”.
Ukraine and its supporters have accused Russia of failing to negotiate
in good faith, doing the minimum needed to keep Trump from applying
new pressure on its economy in the form of additional sanctions.
Rescue workers on a site of a residential building destroyed by a
Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. AP
Prodded by Trump, delegates from the warring countries met last week
in Istanbul for the first time since 2022, in the early months of
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Istanbul talks failed to produce a truce. Prospects for progress
dimmed after Putin spurned Zelensky’s proposal they meet face-to-face
in Istanbul, and Trump said there would be no movement unless he and
Putin met.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters Putin and
Trump discussed what the US leader called “impressive” prospects for
ties between their countries and added that Russia and the United
States are working on a new prisoner swap.
US Vice President J.D. Vance, who was visiting Rome earlier, repeated
a warning that Washington could walk away from the peace process
without progress.
“We’re eventually going to say: ‘You know what? That was worth a try,
but we’re not doing [it] any more.’”
Putin focused on ‘root causes’
Putin said the memorandum Russia and Ukraine would work on about a
future peace accord would define “a number of positions, such as, for
example, the principles of settlement, the timing of a possible peace
agreement”.
“The main thing for us is to eliminate the root causes of this
crisis,” Putin said. “We just need to determine the most effective
ways to move towards peace.”
Trump, who has promised to bring a swift end to Europe’s deadliest war
since World War II, has repeatedly called for a ceasefire after three
years when Washington joined other Western countries in arming
Ukraine.
European leaders have said they want the United States to join them in
imposing tough new sanctions on Russia for refusing a ceasefire. If
that were to happen, it would be a milestone moment in Trump’s
fledgling presidency, during which he has so far shown sympathies
towards Russia and torn up the pro-Ukraine policies of his predecessor
Joe Biden.
Putin, whose forces control a fifth of Ukraine and are advancing, has
stood firm on his conditions for ending the war, despite public and
private pressure from Trump and repeated warnings from European
powers.
Zelensky rules out ceasefire if Russia insists on Ukrainian retreat
from occupied regions
7:27 am, May 20, 2025Source: RBC Ukraine
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/20/zelensky-rules-out-ceasefire-if-russia-insists-on-ukrainian-retreat-from-occupied-regions
President Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed his administration’s refusal
to withdraw troops “from our own land,” rejecting any Russian
ceasefire terms that would require further retreat from Ukrainian
regions currently occupied by Russian forces. “I don’t know what
‘principles’ are in the memorandum,” Zelensky said, referring to
Vladimir Putin’s comments earlier that day about his phone call with
U.S. President Donald Trump. Zelensky argued that Moscow has no
genuine interest in a ceasefire or ending the war if it insists on
Kyiv relinquishing the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson
regions — areas Russia annexed in September 2022 but still does not
fully control.
Zelensky said Ukraine could develop its own vision for any memorandum
once the Kremlin presents a concrete proposal. However, he stressed
that “no one will surrender their land, their territory, their people,
or their homes.”
“This isn’t about President Trump. With all due respect, this is our
land, our state, our army, and our independence. The real question is
what Ukraine can and cannot afford to do. No one will withdraw our
troops from our territory. It is my constitutional duty — and the
responsibility of our military — to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and
territorial integrity,” Zelensky said.
The Kremlin has repeatedly demanded that Kyiv withdraw its forces from
the four Ukrainian regions Moscow annexed in September 2022. Sources
familiar with the May 16 direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian
negotiators say Putin’s emissaries also demanded that Kyiv recognize
Russia’s annexation of Crimea and threatened to seize two more eastern
regions: Sumy and Kharkiv.
Trump and Putin discussed possible Putin–Zelensky meeting, Kremlin says
4:23 pm, May 20, 2025Source: Meduza
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/20/trump-and-putin-discussed-possible-putin-zelensky-meeting-kremlin-says
The topic of direct, high-level contact between Russia and Ukraine was
raised during Monday’s phone call between Russian President Vladimir
Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov
said, according to Interfax.
“Of course, the subject of direct contact — and the continuation of
direct contact — between Russia and Ukraine was discussed,” Peskov
told reporters in response to a question about the Putin–Trump
conversation. He confirmed that the discussion included the
possibility of talks between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelensky.
Peskov added that the Kremlin was aware of a Vatican initiative to
arrange a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, but said “no specific
decisions have been made about where such talks might take place.”
He also said the United States had not withdrawn from its role as a
mediator in negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. “Very effective
mediation has been provided,” Peskov said. “Contact has been
established. And now there are direct contacts [between the Moscow and
Kyiv delegations]; the United States has not stepped back [from
mediation].”
He reiterated that there is no timeline for drafting a memorandum
between Russia and Ukraine on resolving the war. A day earlier,
following his conversation with Trump, Putin said Russia was prepared
to work with Ukraine on a memorandum outlining the principles and
potential timing of a future peace agreement — including a temporary
ceasefire, if “corresponding agreements” could be reached.
Trump and Putin spoke by phone on the evening of May 19. It was their
third conversation since Trump returned to office. Previous calls took
place on February 12 and March 18.
SVR 20 May 2025
https://t.me/s/generalsvr
Dear subscribers and guests of the channel!
The man appointed by the President of Russia and similar to Vladimir
Putin, yesterday, during a telephone conversation with the President
of the United States, fulfilled the mission assigned to him by the
Politburo.
In essence, the mission is simple, but very difficult to implement -
to persuade Trump to continue negotiations, without a truce and
without concessions from Russia, but also without new sanctions from
the United States.
"Putin" devoted at least half of the conversation to explaining all
the complexities of settling the main problems with Ukraine, while
giving rather vague and fictitious examples from the history of the
last five centuries.
Trump tried to impose his own initiative in the conversation, but gave
up these attempts after 15 minutes and was then led in the polemic.
Even the prepared threats of the US President about new sanctions
against Russia sounded uncertain and were as if outside the context of
the conversation.
Trump will probably have to rethink everything he heard and decide how
necessary a meeting with "Putin" is in the absence of a clear result,
which could be a ceasefire in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
"Putin" suggested holding a face-to-face meeting within the next ten
days, Trump replied that he had a tight schedule, but a meeting was
possible. The only thing the US president received as a result of this
conversation was "Putin's" promise to significantly reduce the
intensity of hostilities, with a mirror response from the Ukrainian
side.
RUSSIAN OCCUPATION UPDATE, MAY 19, 2025
May 19, 2025 - ISW Press
Author: Karolina Hird
Data cut-off: 9:30 am EST, May 19
https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-occupation-update-may-19-2025
ISW's Russian Occupation Update tracks the activities that occur in
the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. The occupation updates will
examine Russian efforts to consolidate administrative control of
annexed areas and forcibly integrate Ukrainian citizens into Russian
sociocultural, economic, military, and governance systems. This
product line replaces the section of the Daily Russian Offensive
Campaign Assessment covering activities in Russian-occupied areas of
Ukraine.
To read ISW’s assessment of how Russian activities in occupied areas
of Ukraine are part of a coerced Russification and ethnic cleansing
campaign, click here.
Key Takeaways:
The Russian “Voin” military-patriotic training center network has
taken “patronage” over orphans from occupied Donetsk Oblast and
intends to train these orphans for service in the Russian armed
forces.
The Kremlin-controlled Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) continues to
consolidate its control over occupied Ukraine.
Russian occupation authorities are leveraging the labor of Ukrainian
students to staff occupation administrations and support production at
various state-controlled industries in occupied Ukraine.
The ever-expanding ecosystem of Russian military-patriotic youth
groups continues to facilitate the re-education and indoctrination of
Ukrainian children via “educational trips” to Russia.
The Russian “Voin” military-patriotic training center network has
taken “patronage” over orphans from occupied Donetsk Oblast and
intends to train these orphans for service in the Russian armed
forces. Occupied Donetsk Oblast-based Russian outlet Donetsk News
Agency reported on May 14, citing occupied Donetsk Oblast “Voin”
branch director Alexander Kamyshov, that “Voin” has “taken patronage”
over orphans from the Children’s Social Center and Amvrosiivska
Boarding School No. 4.[1] “Voin” patronage over the two orphanages
means that “Voin” organizes events for the children, including
training sessions in drone operation, tactical medicine, and basic
military affairs. Russian combat veterans will train and instruct the
children. ISW previously assessed that “Voin” is a critical component
of Russia’s wider campaign to indoctrinate and militarize Ukrainian
children to prepare them for eventual service in the Russian
military.[2] Russia’s targeting of orphans for indoctrination and
military training is particularly nefarious, as these children are
left vulnerable by the absence of families or guardians who can
advocate for them.
Russia is registering pro-Russian Cossack organizations in occupied
Ukraine to facilitate the integration of occupied territories into the
Russian administrative and military spheres. Russia officially
established the Southwestern Directorate for the Federal Agency for
Ethnic Affairs (FADN) in August 2023 to oversee nationality and ethnic
policy in occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson
oblasts.[3] Part of the directorate’s mandate includes organizing and
maintaining relationships with Cossack societies in occupied Ukraine.
Acting Head of the Southwestern Directorate Sergei Mildzikhov noted in
an interview in April 2025 that Russia has developed a legal mechanism
for the formation of Cossack societies in occupied Ukraine and has
registered 10 Cossack societies in occupied Luhansk Oblast, eight in
occupied Donetsk Oblast, eight in occupied Kherson oblast, and three
in occupied Zaporizhia oblast.[4] Cossack organizations serve civil
society functions in Russia, and their implementation in occupied
Ukraine allows the Russian state oversight and control over how civil
society develops and proliferates in occupied areas.[5] Russian
occupation officials also notably use Cossack societies to
indoctrinate and militarize residents of occupied Ukraine.[6] Cossack
combat units are active across the frontline in Ukraine and are
recruiting residents in occupied Ukraine for service in various
Cossack formations.[7] Representatives of Cossack societies also teach
schoolchildren pro-Russian military-patriotic ideals and provide
military training courses for youth to prepare them for future service
in Cossack formations and the Russian military.[8] ISW previously
reported on Russian efforts to establish branches of the All-Russian
Cossack Society throughout occupied Ukraine, and assessed that Cossack
societies in part are intended to increase Russia’s mobilization
reserve, while also disseminating pro-Russian military-patriotic
ideals in occupied communities with active Cossack organizations.[9]
The Kremlin-controlled Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) continues to
consolidate its control over occupied Ukraine. ROC Head Patriarch
Kirill appointed Bishop Peter (Ivan Dmitriev, previously a bishop in
Russia’s Chelyabinsk Oblast) to head the ROC dioceses in occupied
Berdyansk and Primorsk and manage ROC parishes throughout occupied
Zaporizhia Oblast.[10] Bishop Peter will notably oversee parishes in
major cities such as Melitopol and Enerhodar, and will effectively act
as the Kremlin-appointed bishop for all of occupied Zaporizhia
Oblast.[11] The ROC exercises considerable influence in occupied
Ukraine and acts as a direct extension of the Kremlin’s governance
policy, as ISW has assessed at length.[12] Patriarch Kirill’s
appointment of a Russian bishop with experience leading ROC parishes
highlights Russia’s efforts to use ROC clergy to implement Russian
control over social, cultural, and spiritual life in occupied
Ukraine.[13]
Russian occupation authorities are leveraging the labor of Ukrainian
students to staff occupation administrations and support production at
various state-controlled industries in occupied Ukraine. A Ukrainian
partisan student group posted images on May 16, reportedly of
documents it acquired from Russian authorities, calling for the
Donetsk National Technical University (DNTU) in occupied Donetsk City
to encourage students to work for the Donetsk People’s Republic
Ministry of Internal Affairs (DNR MVD).[14] The student group noted
that DNR MVD representatives held an open online lecture for DNTU
students during which they gave students the option to work for the
MVD or else risk mobilization into the Russian army. The DNR MVD is a
constituent entity of the Russian federal MVD, so Ukrainian students
who have been coerced to work for the DNR MVD would be working as law
enforcement agents for the Russian state in occupied Ukraine. Another
Ukrainian partisan group recently reported that Russian occupation
officials in occupied Luhansk Oblast and occupied Dzhankoi, Crimea,
are coercing high school-aged students to work at Russian-controlled
agricultural enterprises and warehouses that produce goods for the
Russian military.[15] ISW has recently reported on severe staffing
shortages in multiple industries throughout occupied Ukraine, and
Russian officials are likely coercing high school and university
students into work in part to compensate for these shortages.[16]
The ever-expanding ecosystem of Russian military-patriotic youth
groups continues to facilitate the re-education and indoctrination of
Ukrainian children via “educational trips” to Russia. The Kherson
Oblast occupation administration reported on May 15 that 90 high
schoolers from occupied Kherson Oblast travelled to Moscow and Oryol
cities on an “educational trip” organized through the “Faces of
Victory” and “Road to Victory. Eagle Storm” patriotic education
programs.[17] The programs brand themselves as invested in “developing
in schoolchildren a sense of belonging to the historical heritage and
respect for the feat of the Soviet people.” The high schoolers visited
Soviet battle memorials, museums, and monuments in Russia, and images
from the trip show the teenagers posing with Russian flags.[18] The
Russian Federal Agency for Youth Affairs’ (Rosmolodezh) “More than a
Journey” program implements both “Faces of Victory” and “Road to
Victory. Eagle Storm” through its “New Horizons” program. “New
Horizons” claims to show youth from occupied Ukraine “the diversity
and achievements of Russian regions” and recently claimed that over
10,000 youth from occupied Ukraine and from Russia’s border regions
will take part in its various programs in 2025.[19] These programs
expose Ukrainian children to Russian pseudo-historical narratives and
military-patriotic programming while villainizing Ukrainian national
identity and Ukraine’s history. They may also rise to the level of
illegal deportation, as Russian officials are physically removing
these children from their homes and bringing them to Russia to
participate in activities intended to eradicate their identities. The
Russian government notably directs and funds these programs via
Rosmolodezh, continuing to suggest that the indoctrination of
Ukrainian children is a core Russian state policy.
________________________________
[1] https://dan-news dot
ru/exclusive/centr-voin-vzjal-shefstvo-nad-detmi-sirotami-donecka-i-amvrosievki.-chemu-uchat/;
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-4-2024;
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-february-14-2024;
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-january-28-2024
[2] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-occupation-update-march-31-2025
[3] https://fadn.gov dot
ru/agency/territorialnyie-organyi/yugo-zapadnoe-upravlenie-federalnogo-agentstva-po-delam-naczionalnostej
[4] https://kazachestvo dot ru/20250404/1657799.html
[5] https://jamestown.org/program/new-cossack-societies-to-open-in-ukrainian-oblasts/
[6] https://t.me/andriyshTime/37280
[7] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-january-22-2025
[8] https://t.me/sprotyv_official/6850;
https://t.me/sprotyv_official/6809; https://t.me/luhanskaVTSA/26211
[9] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-january-20-2025
[10] https://t.me/berdeparhia/5341; https://t.me/vrogov/20343
[11] https://t.me/vrogov/20343
[12] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-occupation-update-april-8-2025;
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-orthodox-church-declares-%E2%80%9Choly-war%E2%80%9D-against-ukraine-and-articulates-tenets;
[13] https://novayagazeta dot eu/articles/2025/04/07/soul-occupation-en
[14] https://t.me/nihto_movement/19
[15] https://t.me/yellowribbon_ua/11302; https://t.me/yellowribbon_ua/11329
[16] https://isw.pub/OccupationUpdate050825
[17] https://khogov dot
ru/news/shkolniki-hersonskoj-oblasti-prodolzhayut-puteshestvovat-po-istoricheskim-mestam-rossii/
[18] https://t.me/VGA_Kherson/30767
[19] https://tass dot ru/obschestvo/23417755
RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, MAY 19, 2025
Christina Harward, Daria Novikov, Anna Harvey, Nicole Wolkov, Grace
Mappes, and Kateryna Stepanenko
https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-19-2025
May 19, 2025, 5:30 pm ET
Click here to see ISW’s interactive map of the Russian invasion of
Ukraine. This map is updated daily alongside the static maps present
in this report.
Click here to see ISW's interactive map of Ukraine's offensive in Kursk Oblast.
Click here to see ISW’s 3D control of terrain topographic map of
Ukraine. Use of a computer (not a mobile device) is strongly
recommended for using this data-heavy tool.
Click here to access ISW’s archive of interactive time-lapse maps of
the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These maps complement the static
control-of-terrain map that ISW produces daily by showing a dynamic
frontline. ISW will update this time-lapse map archive monthly.
Note: The data cut-off for this product was 11:15 am ET on May 19. ISW
will cover subsequent reports in the May 20 Russian Offensive Campaign
Assessment.
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a
phone call on May 19 to discuss ceasefire and peace negotiations
regarding Russia's war in Ukraine. Trump stated that he and Putin
agreed that Russia and Ukraine will immediately begin bilateral
negotiations about both a ceasefire and a peace agreement.[1] Trump
also said that he called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky,
French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia
Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander
Stubb, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after
his conversation with Putin and informed them that bilateral
negotiations will begin immediately. Trump stated that the Vatican is
"very interested in hosting the negotiations." Trump also expressed
interest in reviving US–Russian trade after Ukraine and Russia agree
to a peace deal and said that Ukraine could also benefit from trade
during the reconstruction process. Putin spoke to journalists
following the call on May 19 and stated that he and Trump agreed that
Russia would present Ukraine with a "memorandum" detailing conditions
and timing for a future peace treaty as the two countries move toward
conducting bilateral negotiations.[2] Putin also stated that Russia’s
"main" concern is the elimination of the war’s "root causes,"
reiterating a long-standing Kremlin narrative calling for the
replacement of the current Ukrainian government with a Russian proxy
government and Ukraine's commitment to neutrality.[3] Russian
Presidential Aide Yuriy Ushakov told journalists on May 19 that Trump
and Putin also discussed a possible nine-for-nine US–Russian prisoner
exchange.[4]
Zelensky stated that he spoke with Trump before Trump's call with
Putin and spoke with Trump, Macron, Meloni, Merz, Stubb, and von der
Leyen following the Trump–Putin call.[5] Zelensky reaffirmed Ukraine's
readiness for a full unconditional ceasefire as Trump has previously
proposed. Zelensky stated that Ukraine is ready for direct
negotiations with Russia "in any format" and offered Turkey, the
Vatican, or Switzerland as possible venues for talks. Zelensky called
for the negotiation process to involve both American and European
representatives "at the appropriate level." Russia must break its
pattern of protracting negotiations and failing to offer any
meaningful concessions to Ukraine in order for legitimate and
good-faith negotiations to lead to a lasting and sustainable end to
its war against Ukraine.
Russia must explicitly acknowledge the legitimacy of the Ukrainian
president, government, and constitution and Ukraine's sovereignty in
order to engage in meaningful, good-faith negotiations. Putin and
other Kremlin officials have repeatedly falsely claimed that Zelensky
is the illegitimate leader according to the Ukrainian Constitution and
that all Ukrainian governments since 2014 are also illegitimate.[6]
Ukraine's Constitution and law explicitly state that Ukraine cannot
hold elections while martial law is in place and that Ukrainian
authorities cannot lift martial law while "the threat of attack or
danger to the state independence of Ukraine and its territorial
integrity" remains.[7] Russia and Ukraine cannot engage in meaningful
negotiations so long as Russia refuses to recognize the negotiating
authority of Ukraine. Russian officials have forwarded the narrative
about the Ukrainian government's alleged illegitimacy as recently as
May 17, and ISW continues to assess that this Russian effort is aimed
at setting conditions for Russia to renege on any future
Ukrainian–Russian agreements at a time of Russia's choosing.[8] Any
future peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine must include
Russia's explicit recognition of the legitimacy of the Ukrainian
president, government, and constitution.
Russia must agree that ceasefire negotiations must precede peace
settlement negotiations. The United States, Ukraine, and Europe have
repeatedly called for the establishment of a ceasefire to allow for
diplomatic talks to end Russia's war in Ukraine to proceed.[9] Russia
has consistently rejected this sequence of events as part of efforts
to hold any ceasefire talks hostage to extract additional concessions
from Ukraine and the West.[10] ISW continues to assess that Russia is
committed to prolonging peace negotiations so as to continue making
battlefield advances.[11] Peace talks ahead of an established
ceasefire would allow Russia to continue to make advances in Ukraine,
which Russia would likely try to leverage in Ukrainian–Russian talks
to extract further concessions. Any future ceasefire will require
Russia and Ukraine to engage in separate negotiations to agree on the
necessary robust monitoring mechanisms, and conflating ceasefire talks
with peace settlement talks will likely delay the implementation of a
ceasefire.
Russia must show its willingness to make concessions of its own in any
future bilateral negotiations, especially as the Kremlin appears to be
setting conditions to expand its list of demands amid the peace
talks.[12] Russian officials have called for Ukraine to cede all of
Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson oblasts — even the areas
that Russian forces do not currently occupy — before Russia can agree
to a ceasefire.[13] Territorial demands are typically the subject of
war termination negotiations, not ceasefire talks. Russia has
reportedly already started to increase its demands, with Western and
Ukrainian sources reporting that the Russian delegation threatened to
seize Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts — two oblasts that Russia has not
illegally annexed or claimed — during the May 16 talks in
Istanbul.[14] This tactic suggests that Russia will make additional,
more extreme territorial demands during war termination talks should
Ukraine agree to Russia's ceasefire preconditions.
Russia reportedly continues to expand its military infrastructure
along its border with Finland and Estonia, likely in preparation for
future aggression against NATO. The New York Times (NYT) reported on
May 19 that recent satellite imagery, which NATO officials confirmed,
shows that Russia is building bases and military infrastructure near
the Finnish and Estonian borders.[15] The NYT reported that Russian
forces are building and renovating tents, vehicle storage warehouses,
fighter jet shelters, and helicopter bases at Olenya and Alakurtti air
bases in Murmansk Oblast, Kamenka Air Base in Komi Republic, and
Petrozavodsk Air Base in the Republic of Karelia. A senior NATO
official stated that Russia will likely redeploy troops further north
when its war in Ukraine ends and that Russia assesses that its access
to the Arctic is key for its great power status. The NYT stated that
Finnish defense officials predict that it will take Russia roughly
five years to build up its forces to threatening levels after the war
in Ukraine is over, possibly tripling the number of Russian forces on
the Finnish border. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) similarly reported
in April 2025 that Western military and intelligence officials stated
that Russia is expanding military bases near Petrozavodsk and
upgrading railway lines and other infrastructure along Russia's
western border with NATO.[16] Russian Presidential Aide and former
Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev recently used narratives
similar to those that the Kremlin has used to justify its invasions of
Ukraine to threaten Finland.[17]
Ukraine's Western allies continue to provide military aid to Ukraine.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 18 and confirmed the provision of
Abrams tanks to Ukraine, and the Australian Broadcasting Corpo
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