WHITE HOUSE SAYS HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED TRUMP-PUTIN CALL ‘GOING WELL’

Tue 18 March 2025:

The White House said Tuesday that an ongoing call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is “going well” as the two nations seek to hammer out a deal to pause the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine for at least 30 days, and improve bilateral relations.

The highly-anticipated call began at 10 am eastern US time, and remains in progress, Dan Scavino, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, wrote on X.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Monday that either the president or his press team would issue a readout of the call after it concludes. One has not yet been issued.

Ukraine previously accepted the US’s ceasefire proposal, and Trump has threatened to impose financial penalties on Moscow if it rejects the truce.

According to reports from the BBC and Trump’s own statements on Truth Social. Trump indicated this conversation would build on ceasefire proposals discussed by Ukrainian and American delegates in Saudi Arabia the previous week, which included a 30-day truce that Ukraine was prepared to accept.

Key issues expected to be addressed include the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, occupied by Russia since 2022, and the status of Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukraine holds territory from a 2024 incursion. However, details remain speculative until the call occurs and official readouts are provided.

The implications of these calls are multifaceted. For Putin, they mark a diplomatic victory, ending his isolation from Western leaders and fulfilling his goal of negotiating directly with the U.S. over Ukraine’s fate. For Trump, they reflect his “America First” policy, prioritizing a quick resolution to the war and shifting U.S. focus away from European security toward domestic concerns and competition with China.

Critics, including some European leaders and former U.S. officials like John Bolton, argue that Trump’s approach risks rewarding Russian aggression and sidelining Ukraine, potentially forcing Kyiv into painful concessions. Meanwhile, supporters see it as a pragmatic step toward de-escalation.

-Source: AA

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