Dialogue Between the Presidents of the USA and Russia; Trump to Putin: This Killing Must Stop

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, announced moments ago that he had a "long and very constructive phone call" with Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia. Mr. Trump stated on his social media platform "Truth Social" that he discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, energy, artificial intelligence, and the power of the dollar with Vladimir Putin. The U.S. President recalled the cooperation between the United States and the former Soviet Union during World War II, adding: "We reflected on the great history of our nations and the fact that we successfully fought alongside each other in World War II, remembering that Russia lost tens of millions in that war, and we lost many as well." According to Donald Trump, he and Vladimir Putin discussed the strengths of their countries and the great benefits of cooperating with each other. The U.S. President stated that now is the time to stop the killing of millions in the Russia-Ukraine war, adding: "Millions have died in a war that would not have happened if I were President, but it did happen, and now it must end; no more lives should be lost." Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and has since captured about 20% of the country's territory. Mr. Trump said that Putin agrees with him and announced an upcoming visit to each other's countries while emphasizing close cooperation. The U.S. President added that Putin even used the very powerful slogan of his election campaign, "common sense," in their conversation, stressing that both leaders "deeply" believe in it. He also mentioned that he and Putin agreed that relevant groups in both countries should "immediately" start negotiations. The U.S. President stated: "I have asked Marco Rubio, Secretary of State; John Ratcliffe, Director of the CIA; Michael Waltz, National Security Advisor; and Steve Witkoff, my Ambassador and Special Envoy, to lead the negotiations, which I strongly believe will be successful." He expressed confidence that this effort would lead to a "successful" outcome. Donald Trump noted that he would contact Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, to inform him about his conversation with Putin. He also thanked the Russian President for the release of an American teacher. The White House announced on the evening of Tuesday, February 12, that Mark Fogel, the American teacher who was freed from Russian prison, was welcomed back to the country by the U.S. President. The White House posted on the social media platform "X," announcing this news and sharing video images of Donald Trump's welcome of Mark Fogel, stating: "A promise was made and kept." Mark Fogel was arrested in Russia about four years ago on drug trafficking charges. Upcoming meeting between Trump and Zelensky; Ukraine and Russia are "willing to agree". Mark Fogel, the released teacher from Russia, was welcomed by Trump upon entering the U.S. Trump reiterated his plan for Gaza during a meeting with the King of Jordan. Two U.S. warships passed through the Taiwan Strait.