President Donald Trump on Monday confirmed he spoke directly with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, marking another chapter in the ongoing diplomatic efforts surrounding the Ukraine crisis. The call was a follow-up to discussions Trump held with allied leaders.
The conversation with Putin occurred after Trump’s August 18 meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European officials at the White House. Those talks were pivotal in aligning Western strategy concerning Ukraine’s future.
In his remarks, Trump shed light on the substance of his diplomatic efforts, particularly on the issue of security guarantees. He has proposed a model where European nations take the lead, a role he described as appropriate given their location, while America provides reinforcement.
Furthermore, Trump pulled back the curtain on an earlier, face-to-face meeting with Putin in Alaska on August 15. A major topic of that summit was the prospect of future arms control, with both leaders discussing the reduction of nuclear arsenals once the war in Ukraine is over.