TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The President of the United States, Donald Trump, made a phone call to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, on Monday, August 18, 2025. The call took place while Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and seven European leaders gathered at the White House for a meeting.
According to a report by Axios, two sources familiar with the conversation confirmed the phone call. German media Bild was the first to report the Trump-Putin contact.
"At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelensky. After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself," he wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Earlier on the same day, Trump mentioned Putin was awaiting a call from him after the meeting with Zelensky and the European leaders. Trump hoped to soon organize an in-person meeting between Putin and Zelensky.
Among the officials participating in the discussions at the White House on Monday were British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Mark Rutte also took part.
Three-Way Meeting Plans
As reported by The Hill, Trump said he had spoken with Putin after the meeting with Zelensky and the European leaders. He mentioned initiating the possibility of a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky, which would then be followed by a three-way meeting with himself.
"Again, this was a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump's Optimism
Trump displayed optimism in the meetings with Zelensky and the European leaders. Zelensky called it his best meeting with Trump thus far.
The European leaders also commended Trump's efforts, but urged him to press Putin to agree to a ceasefire first. Trump refused, stating that a comprehensive peace agreement is more important than a temporary cessation of hostilities.
Trump also mentioned the issue of post-war security guarantees for Ukraine.
"During the meeting, we discussed Security Guarantees for Ukraine, which Guarantees would be provided by the various European countries, in coordination with the United States," he wrote on Truth Social.
He mentioned Europe would be the first line of defense, but did not rule out the possibility of American military involvement.
Russian Response and Territorial Issues
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the two presidents discussed the outcome of Trump's talks in Washington on Monday, following their summit in Alaska on Friday aimed at ending Russia's war on Ukraine.
According to Ushakov, as reported by Anadolu, Trump and Putin "spoke in favor of continuing direct negotiations between the delegations of the Russian Federation and Ukraine" and discussed the idea of "raising the level of direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations."
He added that the two leaders agreed to maintain close communication regarding the Ukrainian crisis and other "pressing issues."
"In a conversation with Trump, Putin noted the importance of the efforts undertaken by the U.S. president to resolve the Ukrainian situation," said Ushakov.
He also added that the Russian leader thanked Trump for "his hospitality and the good organization of the meeting in Alaska, as well as the progress achieved during it."
However, the Russian Foreign Ministry "categorically" rejected the possibility of foreign troops, including from NATO countries, in Ukraine. Security guarantees and territorial claims are expected to be the most challenging issues if the Putin-Zelensky meeting indeed takes place.
Zelensky asserted that he would not surrender territory to Russia. However, Putin has previously proposed for Russia to annex Donetsk and Luhansk and freeze the battle lines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
This meeting comes after Trump hosted Putin in Alaska on Friday, August 15, 2025. The visit marked Putin's first visit to America since 2015. The meeting ended with claims of progress, albeit without details on resolving the war that began in February 2022.
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