Trump presses Putin on Ukraine “bloodbath,” hints at US withdrawal from peace talks

US President Donald Trump held a two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the evening of May 19.

Following the discussion, Trump addressed reporters at the White House, stating that he asked Putin when the “bloodbath” in Ukraine would end and warned that he might withdraw from the conflict resolution process if there was no “significant progress” in negotiations.

Trump also announced that Russia and Ukraine would “immediately” begin negotiations for a ceasefire and to end the war.

Trump’s sanctions message

Addressing Putin, Trump stated, “I told him: You have to make progress. And I also added: If I think you cannot do this, I will withdraw [from the resolution process], because what can be done?”

The US President indicated that he had a “red line” where he would decide to withdraw from negotiations but did not specify what it was.

In such a scenario, Trump stated that the US would transfer its role in the resolution to Europe, emphasizing that the war in Ukraine should have remained Europe’s problem from the very beginning and that Washington should not have been involved.

Despite this, Trump expressed his assurance that significant changes would occur after his meeting with Putin. The US President said, “Big egos are involved, but I think something will happen.”

Trump also noted that he would not impose sanctions on Russia because there was a chance of progress toward ending the war, adding, “If you do that (impose sanctions on Russia), you could make the situation much worse. But a time may come when that happens.”

In a post on his social media account, Truth Social, Trump wrote, “My two-hour phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin just ended. I believe it went very well. Russia and Ukraine will immediately begin negotiations for a ceasefire and, more importantly, an end to the war.”

He emphasized that the conditions for future agreements would be determined directly by Moscow and Kyiv because “only they know the details that no one else knows.” Trump also added that his meeting with Putin took place in a constructive atmosphere.

Putin proposes memorandum for peace agreement

Following his discussion with Trump, Vladimir Putin also issued a statement, indicating that Russia was ready to consider the possibility of a ceasefire only if “appropriate agreements” were reached.

Putin reiterated that Moscow’s primary priority was to eliminate the “root causes of this crisis,” stating, “Russia is ready to work on a memorandum regarding a possible future peace agreement with the Ukrainian side.”

According to Putin, this document could include a series of key parameters such as principles for resolution, a timeline for signing a peace agreement, and conditions for a possible temporary ceasefire.

Zelenskyy Greenlights Memorandum

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for his part, stated that Kyiv was ready to sign a memorandum that would pave the way for an agreement to end the war with Moscow. Zelenskyy expressed that they would await Russia’s draft document before a new round of negotiations to understand Moscow’s views on how a ceasefire could be achieved and what the subsequent steps might be.

He also added that the next meeting of Ukrainian and Russian representatives could take place in Vatican City, Istanbul, or Switzerland, with the participation of the US, the European Union, and the United Kingdom.

Kremlin: No specific timeline for memorandum

Meanwhile, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced that Russia had not set any specific timeline for preparing a possible peace agreement memorandum with Ukraine.

Peskov stated, “There is no timeline, and there cannot be. It is clear that everyone wants to do this as soon as possible, but of course, all the devil is in the details.”

According to Peskov, Moscow and Kyiv would create their own memorandum drafts, and then the parties would engage in “complex contacts to ultimately agree on a single text.”

At the same time, he emphasized that the most important thing for Russia in any document was the “elimination of the root causes of this conflict.”

Peskov also stated, “No concrete decisions have yet been made regarding where contacts between Russia and Ukraine will continue.”

The phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin took place on the evening of May 19. Before this call, Trump had also spoken by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the White House President asked Zelenskyy which topics he should raise with Putin during their meeting.

It was reported that Zelenskyy asked Trump to persuade Putin to hold a personal meeting with him and offered the US President to participate in such a meeting.

Additionally, Zelenskyy insisted that Trump confirm that Washington would not make any decisions regarding Ukraine without Kyiv’s participation.

Trump signals broad trade potential

The US President also stated that Putin expressed readiness for large-scale commercial cooperation with the US after the war ends.

Trump emphasized, “Russia wants to develop extensive trade relations with the United States after this disastrous ‘bloodbath’ ends. And I support this idea.”

Noting that Russia has significant economic potential and opportunities to create jobs and raise living standards, Trump said, “This potential is almost unlimited.”

Trump added that Ukraine could also be one of the main beneficiaries of future trade relations during the post-war reconstruction process.

Trump concluded his remarks by saying, “Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will begin immediately; I informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (Germany’s current Chancellor is Olaf Scholz, Friedrich Merz is the CDU/CSU opposition leader), and Finnish President Aleksandr Stubb of this in my phone calls immediately after my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Vatican City, through the Pope, expressed special interest in these negotiations taking place on its territory. Let the process begin!”