Trump’s conversation with Putin has raised hopes for renewed peace negotiations.

Following a two-hour discussion with the Russian president on Monday, US President Donald Trump announced that negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv would commence “immediately” to end the war in Ukraine.

“Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War,” Trump stated in a social-media post.

He indicated that he had also updated European leaders following his conversation with Putin and noted that the Vatican had offered to facilitate the negotiations. He characterized “the tone and the spirit of the conversation” as “excellent,” saying “If it wasn’t, I would say so now, rather than later.”

Putin described his conversation with Trump as “frank” and ‘“very useful”, noting that both leaders agreed that Russia would work to draft a memorandum with Ukraine concerning a potential peace treaty, which would address “the principles of a settlement, the timing of a possible peace agreement, and so on, including a possible ceasefire for a certain time if appropriate agreements are reached.”

However, by agreeing to engage in ceasefire talks with Ukraine, Putin seems to have bought extra time with Trump, who has occasionally threatened to impose further economic sanctions on Moscow if the Russian leader is not serious in his efforts to end the war.