President Donald Trump has confirmed he held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The call was initiated following high-level discussions at the White House concerning the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
This diplomatic outreach came on the heels of Trump’s August 18 meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and a delegation of European leaders. The discussions in Washington centered on establishing a framework for peace and security for Ukraine.
During his remarks to the press, Trump outlined a potential structure for future security assurances for Ukraine. He indicated that European nations would be expected to take the primary role, with the United States providing secondary support. “Europe is going to give them significant security guarantees… we will be involved from the standpoint of backup,” he stated.
Trump also disclosed details of a separate, earlier meeting with Putin. He revealed that during an August 15 summit in Alaska, the two leaders had broached the subject of reducing their nations’ nuclear stockpiles once the Ukraine crisis is resolved.