Trump-Putin Hold Phone Talks

Washington DC, Tuesday – United States President Donald Trump began high-level talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The telephone conversation on Tuesday (18/3/2025) morning Washington DC time or at 22.00 WIB was said to have gone smoothly and is still ongoing.

"The phone call went well and is still ongoing," wrote Dan Scavino, Deputy Chief of Staff at the White House, in a post on the social media platform X.

Trump called Putin from the Oval Office at the White House.

Many parties hope that through the discussion, Trump can persuade Putin to accept the ceasefire proposal regarding the war in Ukraine. As previously reported, Ukraine has accepted the U.S. proposal by agreeing to a 30-day ceasefire.

Regarding the offer, in principle, Moscow—as conveyed by Putin last week—supports Washington's proposal. However, Putin stated that there are still several important conditions that need to be thoroughly discussed.

So far, according to the statement by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, there is already a "certain understanding" between Trump and Putin based on their initial discussions on February 12. At the very least, there is an understanding regarding the importance of resolving the conflict in Ukraine and rebuilding relations between Russia and the United States.

Trump, as stated in his post on social media last Monday, also mentioned that many elements of the agreement have been approved. However, there are still many aspects that remain unresolved.

On the other hand, the new steps achieved by Russia and the US have made Washington's traditional allies cautious. Even the United Kingdom and France initiated joint efforts that, in turn, drew sharp attention from Russia.

(AP/AFP/Reuters)