On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to start a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war.
The deal entails stopping assaults on energy and infrastructure and opening talks for an overall ceasefire and enduring peace, which will start immediately.
The two leaders also spent time discussing the status of US-Russia relations and the Middle East situation in a nearly two-hour telephone call.
The ceasefire proposal will need to be approved by Ukraine.
As reported by the White House, "The leaders agreed that the peace process will begin with a halt to attacks on energy and infrastructure, and technical talks on a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, leading to a full ceasefire and lasting peace."
The White House further added, "These talks will begin immediately in the Middle East (West Asia)."
Both of the leaders declared their eagerness to seal the conflict by a lasting peace.
The press release further indicated that Trump and Putin "focused on the imperative of improved US-Russia relations" and said that such an improvement could usher in great opportunities. "A future with a better US-Russia relationship contains vast potential, including enormous economic benefits and geopolitics stability when peace is gained."
The conversation also broached the subject of the wider Middle East, with the two leaders seeing the region as a possible sphere of cooperation to avoid future wars. Iran was another subject discussed.
Both leaders concurred that "Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel."
About an hour into the discussion, President Trump's Deputy Chief of Staff, Dan Scavino, put up an update on social media: "Happening Now — President Trump is currently in the Oval Office speaking with President Vladimir Putin of Russia since 10 a.m. EDT."
He posted a second update 40 minutes later: "Update: Call still in progress…"
Trump had made a Sunday announcement for the call when he was flying back to Washington D.C. from his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.
The call comes after three to four hour talks in Moscow last week between Steve Witkoff, Trump's West Asian envoy, and President Putin.
This sitting was follow-up to a meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz with Ukrainian authorities.
Prior to the Tuesday phone call, H.R. McMaster, Trump's first-term NSA, explained to Fox News that Putin's game was "to get Trump and the US to sign an agreement that Ukraine would refuse, then try to turn the US not just against Ukraine but against Europe as well.
This call represents a significant move in President Trump’s efforts to bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which he has repeatedly stated would never have occurred if he had been in office at the time.
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