The conversation is scheduled for 5pm Moscow time and will be based on the results of recent talks in Istanbul, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said
Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a phone call with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, at 5pm Moscow time (2pm GMT) on Monday, the Kremlin has confirmed.
The upcoming conversation was initially announced by Trump on Saturday. He said the discussion would focus on “stopping the ‘bloodbath’” between Russia and Ukraine, along with trade issues. He also noted plans to speak with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and NATO leaders afterward, expressing hope that a “productive day” would lead to a ceasefire.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the highly anticipated call, Peskov described talks with Trump as “important” in light of the recent Turkish-mediated meeting between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul – their first direct peace talks since 2022.
During the meeting, both sides exchanged lists of conditions for a potential ceasefire, agreed to a large-scale prisoner exchange, and discussed the possibility of a follow-up round of talks. Moscow also did not rule out direct talks between Putin and Zelensky if the peace efforts result in progress and firm agreements.
“Regarding [the Istanbul] talks, we’ve already made our positions clear, now we await the results of the dialogue,” the spokesman said.
Peskov reaffirmed Moscow’s willingness to engage with the US in its mediating role. “We highly value the United States’ mediating efforts – if they truly help us achieve our objectives by peaceful means,” he told reporters, stressing that Moscow sees the diplomatic path as “preferable.”
Asked about the prospect of a future summit between Putin and Trump, Peskov said the potential meeting and its timing “depend on what they themselves decide.” He stressed that any such talks must be “well-prepared” in order to be “result-oriented.”
Meanwhile, the Washington Post has reported, citing a US official familiar with the matter, that Zelensky and his top aides are concerned that the Trump-Putin phone call could “deliver a fait accompli that Ukraine can’t accept,” with the Ukrainian leader meeting Vice President J.D. Vance to prevent that from happening.
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy and a key figure in Ukraine peace process, has expressed hope that the call would be “very successful” and could help clear “some of the logjam” in the talks.
