President Donald Trump on Thursday called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin ahead of planned talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as they seek an end to the invasion of Ukraine.
Trump first confirmed the call in a post on Truth Social Thursday: “I am speaking to President Putin now. The conversation is ongoing, a lengthy one, and I will report the contents, as will President Putin, at its conclusion. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The call precedes a meeting between Trump and Zelensky at the White House on Friday, during which the two world leaders will discuss whether Ukraine should receive long-range Tomahawk missiles, which would mark a significant escalation in the conflict with Russia.
Trump last week said he had given Putin an ultimatum to either hold serious peace talks with Ukraine or the U.S. president would consider giving Ukraine the missiles, which Zelensky has long petitioned to obtain.
Russian officials, including former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, have warned that should Ukraine obtain the Tomahawk missiles, it would “end badly for everyone” and destroy relations between Washington and Moscow.
This is a breaking news story. Updates will follow.
