Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that he’s ready to end war with Ukraine.
He stated this in a lengthy phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The two leaders reportedly spoke for over two hours as part of growing international efforts to halt the ongoing conflict.
Citing Russian state media, Putin conveyed that Moscow is prepared to collaborate with Kyiv on a formal memorandum aimed at establishing a ceasefire.
Both leaders appeared optimistic about the outcome of their discussion. Trump characterised the dialogue’s “tone and spirit” as “excellent,” while Putin described the exchange as “informative” and “frank”.
Momentum for peace talks is reportedly building, with European and American leaders expressing support for Pope Leo XIV’s willingness to host negotiations at the Vatican. This was confirmed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Monday.
According to Meloni’s office, a number of European heads of state—including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz—held conversations with Trump after his phone call with Putin.
Separately, the U.S. Vice President met with Pope Leo XIV and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, who oversees the Vatican’s relations with states and international bodies.
“The Vice President and Archbishop Gallagher discussed religious freedom, the persecution of Christians around the world, and the shared commitment of President Trump and Pope Leo XIV to stop the killing in Ukraine and the Middle East,” the White House said in an official release.
While the statement did not detail the Vice President’s private discussion with the Pope, it was issued shortly before Trump publicly proposed the Vatican as a potential venue for Russia-Ukraine peace talks.
