WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Trump revealed the call between the two leaders and assured that they would work “together, very closely.”
“Each of us spoke about the strengths of our respective nations and the great benefit that we will someday have by working together,” Trump wrote in the post about the call that followed an exchange of prisoners between the two nations. “But first, as we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths that are happening in the war with Russia/Ukraine.”
He added that the leaders also “agreed that our respective teams would start negotiations immediately” and that they would be informing Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy about their conversation.
White House officials refused to clarify whether Ukraine would be part of the negotiations between the United States and Russia.
The call followed a prisoner exchange that resulted in Russia’s release of American professor Marc Fogel after more than three years of detention.
Alexander Vinnik, a convicted Russian criminal, is being released as part of an exchange that saw Fogel’s release by Moscow, two U.S. officials confirmed on Wednesday. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the exchange.
Vinnik was arrested in 2017 in Greece at the request of the United States on charges of cryptocurrency fraud and was extradited to the United States, where he pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is currently detained in California awaiting transport back to Russia, according to officials.
The Kremlin indicated on Wednesday that a Russian citizen was released in the United States in exchange for Fogel, but refused to identify him until he arrives in Russia.
Trump, a convicted criminal, received Fogel at the White House on Tuesday night after his return to US soil.
Fogel, an American history professor who was considered to have been unjustly detained by Russia, was released in what the White House described as a diplomatic thaw that could advance negotiations to end the fighting in Ukraine. Fogel was arrested in August 2021 and was serving a 14-year prison sentence.
Steve Witkoff, a special envoy of Trump, left Russia with Fogel and took him to the White House, where Trump greeted him. Fogel was expected to meet with his family.
Trump refused to say whether he spoke with Putin about Fogel and did not mention what the United States provided in exchange for Fogel’s release.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump suggested that the release of Fogel could help anchor a peace deal on Ukraine, saying: “Russia treated us very well, actually. I hope this is the beginning of a relationship where we can put an end to that war.”
The Kremlin was more cautious, but also pointed out that the agreement could help strengthen mutual trust.