Four key things we learned from Trump’s phone call with Putin

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1. A rare phone call between[ Donald Trump ](https://inews.co.uk/topic/donald-trump?srsltid=AfmBOor2zy4MJrVe7icCUnYdASiLPrSB2fR2l7JgIURCAtV-chuQg-OV&ico=in-line_link)and [Vladimir Putin](https://inews.co.uk/topic/vladimir-putin?srsltid=AfmBOoqtmqHii-BLpiVvIj6adL5EmZzlXVIz7dRC3vBMoZGLbWiKqa9K&ico=in-line_link) has raised hopes and frustrations over a potential peace process for the war in Ukraine.

   The US president said the two-hour conversation went “very well”, and that Ukraine and Russia are to start ceasefire talks “immediately”.

   In a post on social media he wrote: “Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War.”

   But despite the upbeat comments, Moscow has not yet agreed to any of the key objectives set out by Washington, prompting one former European leader to frame the call as “a win for Putin.”

   Here *The i Paper* takes a look at what we’ve learnt from the latest talks.   

   # Trump hails ‘excellent’ call – but so far no one has fundamentally changed their stance 

   The first reports from the phone call painted a rosy picture, with Trump and Putin on friendly terms and addressing each other by their first names.

   “Trump said: ‘Vladimir, you can pick up the phone at any time, and I will be happy to answer and speak with you,”‘ Russian presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov said.

   The US president said his talk with Putin went “very well” and was “excellent”, adding: “If it wasn’t, I would say so now, rather than later.”

   Moscow, he said, will “propose and is ready to work with” Ukraine on a “memorandum” outlining the framework for “a possible future peace treaty.”

   He said that if appropriate agreements were reached, there could be a ceasefire, adding that direct talks between Russia and Ukraine gave “reason to believe that we are generally on the right track.”

   But both leaders were unchanged on their negotiating positions.

   Putin said “Russia’s position is clear. The main thing for us is to eliminate the root causes of this crisis.”

   He also refused to support the US-proposed 30-day unconditional ceasefire, a key element of Monday’s phone call.

   [Russia’s requests, including taking Crimea and Donbas ](https://inews.co.uk/opinion/trump-and-putins-call-opens-the-door-to-talks-but-in-ukraine-the-fighting-will-go-on-3703068?ico=in-line_link)and keeping Ukraine out of Nato, have been repeatedly rejected by Kyiv.

   Trump also reverted to his previous threat of walking away.

   He told reporters in the Oval Office: “I think something’s going to happen and, if it doesn’t I’d just back away and they have to keep going. This was a European situation. It should have remained a European situation.

   “This is not my war.”

2. I bet trumpet was just salivating new trump towers to kreml and restoring relations and make new deals with russia..

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