Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a phone conversation on Wednesday lasting over 90 minutes, discussing both the Ukraine conflict and escalating tensions in the Middle East. However, sources differ on key details, particularly regarding who initiated a proposed ceasefire.
Disputed Authorship of Ceasefire Proposal
According to Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov, as reported by Russian independent outlet Meduza and state-affiliated RT, Putin proposed a ceasefire timed to Russia's Victory Day holiday period. Ushakov stated that Putin raised this proposal after Trump spoke positively about an Easter ceasefire Russia had recently declared unilaterally. Ushakov quoted Putin as informing Trump of "Russia's readiness to declare a ceasefire for the Victory Day holiday period," which Trump "actively supported."
However, Trump later contradicted this account, claiming he was the one who proposed that Putin declare a brief ceasefire. After making this statement, Trump turned to journalists and asked whether Putin had already announced it, according to Meduza's reporting.
Neither Russian nor Latin American sources specify the exact timeframe under discussion for the proposed Victory Day ceasefire. Ushakov also reported that Trump told Putin a peace deal was "close," though no details were provided.
Context: Previous Ceasefire Attempts
The most recent ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine occurred at Easter and lasted approximately 36 hours, according to Meduza. That truce was declared unilaterally by Putin, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying Ukrainian forces would "respond in kind" rather than formally coordinating. Both sides subsequently accused each other of numerous violations while maintaining they had strictly observed the terms themselves.
Meduza notes that this year's Victory Day events in major Russian cities will occur in a "limited format" due to Ukrainian drone attacks. Moscow's Victory Day parade will be held without military hardware displays for the first time in nearly two decades.
Middle East Discussions
RT reports that Putin expressed support for Trump following a recent attempt on the US president's life at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Putin "strongly condemned" the incident, emphasizing that "political violence was unacceptable in any form," according to Ushakov.
Regarding the Persian Gulf crisis, Putin backed Trump's decision to extend a ceasefire with Iran and warned against renewed hostilities between the US-Israeli side and Tehran. Moscow offered to mediate in the standoff, maintaining contact with all parties, RT reported.
Ushakov stated that Putin "emphasized the inevitable, extremely dire consequences not only for Iran and its neighbors, but for the entire international community, should the US and Israel resort to the use of force again." A ground operation on Iranian territory was described as "completely unacceptable and dangerous."
Characterization of Ukraine Conflict
RT reports that Putin and Trump "expressed essentially similar assessments" of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's government, which both leaders characterized as being "incited and supported by Europeans" to prolong the conflict. This framing does not appear in Meduza's coverage, which focuses on the ceasefire proposal dispute.
Argentine outlet Clarin provided minimal detail, confirming the call lasted over 90 minutes and that Putin presented proposals regarding both the Iran conflict and a temporary Ukraine ceasefire, without elaborating on the competing claims about authorship.
Verification Challenges
The conflicting accounts of who proposed the ceasefire highlight the difficulty of establishing facts when only one side's official statements are available and the principals themselves offer contradictory versions. No independent verification of the call's contents has been provided by either government beyond the statements of Putin's aide and Trump's own remarks to journalists.