A single phone call will not miraculously end the war in Ukraine. While talks may now begin, the exact timeline and outcome remain uncertain.
However, simply by holding this conversation, President Vladimir Putin has already achieved a diplomatic victory of sorts. Just three years ago, he was politically isolated. His decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine had made him a global pariah.
The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning Russia for its “unlawful use of force against Ukraine.”
Russia faced thousands of international sanctions, and the following year, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin.
At the time, then-US President Joe Biden made his stance clear, denouncing Putin as a “murderous dictator” and a “pure thug.”
Following Russia’s large-scale invasion in February 2022, direct communication between Biden and Putin ceased.
Now, in 2025, a new US president has ushered in a different style, tone, and approach toward Russia.
Trump has expressed his desire to “work together, very closely” with Putin to end the war in Ukraine and has even suggested they will be “visiting each other’s nations.”
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin (Photo: Getty Images)Putin clearly shares that sentiment, extending an invitation for Trump to visit Moscow. If Trump accepts the invitation, it would mark a significant shift in US-Russia relations. No American president has visited Russia in over a decade.
In many ways, Putin has already achieved a key objective—the opportunity to negotiate directly with the United States over Ukraine, potentially bypassing Kyiv and Europe. It also allows him to reclaim a seat at the highest level of international diplomacy.
However, it remains unclear to what extent Putin is willing to compromise.
Russian officials insist Moscow is open to negotiations but consistently refer back to Putin’s so-called peace proposal from June 2024, which resembles an ultimatum.
Under this plan, Russia would retain all Ukrainian territory it has seized, along with additional land still under Ukrainian control.
Furthermore, Ukraine would be barred from joining NATO, and Western sanctions against Russia would be lifted.
As one Russian newspaper put it earlier this week: “Russia is ready for talks. But on its terms. “If you drop the diplomatic language, essentially that is called an ultimatum.”