Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special representative Steve Witkoff late at night over the phone. Trump, in a statement, commented on the matter. The U.S. President stated, “We had a very good and constructive meeting with Putin over the phone. I asked him to spare the lives of Ukrainians. This is a very good opportunity for this war to finally come to an end.”

Trump highlighted the current situation where thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are surrounded, warning that “there will be an unprecedented massacre since World War II.”

The White House revealed that Trump’s representative Steve Witkoff met with Putin, clarifying that President Trump did not speak directly with Putin.

STATEMENT FROM KREMLIN

Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned that Putin signaled to Trump through Witkoff. Peskov also stated that Putin received information from Witkoff about the U.S.’s stance on Ukraine. Peskov expressed cautious optimism regarding the ceasefire plan, explaining the reasons behind it and acknowledging the need for both sides to respond to such a call.

STATEMENT FROM ZELENSKY

Following the meeting between Russian and U.S. delegations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a statement. Zelensky accused Russia of deliberately undermining peace diplomacy. He stated, “Russia is deliberately complicating and delaying the ceasefire process.”