The 2025 Putin–Trump call is a formal telephone conversation that took place between United StatesPresidentDonald Trump and President of RussiaVladimir Putin that took place on February 12, 2025. The conversation lasted an hour and a half, and was the first direct exchange of views between the leaders of the Russian Federation and the United States since February 2022.
On November 7, 2024, Vladimir Putin congratulated Donald Trump on his victory in the 2024 US elections, and added that his desire towards ending the conflict in Ukraine "deserves attention".[2]
On November 9, Donald Trump's adviser Bryan Lanza stated that the US presidential administration would focus on a "realistic vision for peace" in Ukraine, instead of insisting on the returning of Crimea.[3]
On February 11, 2025, United States Special Envoy to the Middle EastSteven Witkoff arrived in Moscow to arrange the exchange of American citizen Mark Fogel for Russian citizenAlexander Vinnik. Fox News claimed that during his visit, Witkoff met with President of Russia Vladimir Putin, which was subsequently neither officially confirmed nor denied by the Kremlin. US presidential administration officials stated that the prisoner exchange could be a harbinger of resumed efforts to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.[4][5][6]
On February 12, at a meeting at the headquarters of NATO in Brussels, United States Secretary of DefensePete Hegseth stated that the United States wouldn't support Ukraine's aspirations for NATO membership, and stated that it was "unrealistic" to push for a return to Ukraine's pre-war borders based on the situation on the ground.[7]
Course of conversation
On February 12, 2025, a formal telephone conversation took place between Trump and Putin. According to official statements, the conversation lasted about an hour and a half and was described by the American side as "lengthy and very productive". During the conversation, the leaders discussed a number of issues, the central one being the situation regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the present nature of the conflict.[6]
Following the conversation, President Trump announced an agreement to begin immediate negotiations to end military action in Ukraine. Both sides expressed their intention to work "very closely”" to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict.[8]
Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov confirmed the conversation and reported that during the conversation, Vladimir Putin pointed out "the need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict." Peskov also revealed that mutual invitations were exchanged between the leaders to meet in each other's nations, emphasizing Trump's invitation to Moscow.[10]
Consequences
Donald Trump announced an upcoming personal meeting with Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia.[11]
Advisor to the President of Ukraine Dmitry Litvin stated that the US President, after talking with the head of the Russian Federation, had a telephone conversation with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump shared details of his conversation with Vladimir Putin and agreed to immediately begin peace talks.[12]
On February 13, 2025, the Moscow Exchange (MOEX) rose by over 6 percent to reach 3,210 points following news of the conversation. Simultaneously, the RTS Index also increased by over 6 percent, reaching 1,080 points. The ruble rose by 3.7 percent to reach 90.50 rubles against the U.S. dollar.[15]
Responses
Media and analysis
According to CNN, the telephone conversation between Putin and Trump, along with the Pentagon's statements about European NATO members bearing their own military expenses, marked a significant change in American-European relations. The publication noted that Trump's position reflects his "America First" policy and his desire to evaluate international relations from the point of view of financial gain.[16]The Washington Post emphasized that the interests of European countries in the geopolitical defense space were fading into the background.[17]
The BBC noted that a possible mutual visit between the leaders would mark a fundamental shift in bilateral relations, given that the President of the United States hadn't visited Russia in over a decade.[18]Axios described the phone call, the possible meeting between the leaders, and the previously announced prisoner exchange as signs of a thawing of frozen US-Russian relations.[19]
The New York Times described the phone call as a turning point for Vladimir Putin, comparable in significance to the key battles in the three-year Ukrainian conflict.[20]
According to The Guardian, the rapid initiation of negotiations with Russia and the open demands for Ukraine to cede territory have caused alarm in Kyiv and among Ukraine's European allies.[21] They have expressed fears that the Trump administration may make significant concessions to Putin's demands as means of securing a quick deal. Al Jazeera described the developments as having "signalled a major shift in three years of US policy towards Kyiv".[22]
According to The Times, the 90-minute conversation was proof of the failure of attempts by European and Western powers to isolate Russia and turn Putin into an international pariah with economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure.[23]Süddeutsche Zeitung noted that Trump rejected the European position on the inadmissibility of deciding Ukraine's fate without the participation of Ukraine itself and European partners, emphasizing that only two participants would be present at the proposed negotiating table: Trump and Putin.[24] According to Bloomberg, European officials received no advance notice of the upcoming conversation, and were shocked that it took place.[25]Handelsblatt noted that EU leaders feared that Trump may be prepared to make significant concessions to Putin at the expense of Europe.[26]
Domestic
United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, commenting on the conversation, emphasized that the desire for peace was not a "betrayal" of Ukraine, and noted that Russian aggression served as a "reset" for NATO.[27] However, Donald Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton said that Trump "effectively surrendered" to Putin on the issue of Ukraine.[28]
