Image Credit: Kevin Dietsch / Staff / Getty 
On Thursday President Donald Trump has held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of Ukrainian Dictator Vladimir Zelensky’s White House appearance Friday. Trump reported the call was productive and provided details of upcoming meetings that aim to end the Ukraine war.
I have just concluded my telephone conversation with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, and it was a very productive one. President Putin congratulated me and the United States on the Great Accomplishment of Peace in the Middle East, something that, he said, has been dreamed of for centuries. I actually believe that the Success in the Middle East will help in our negotiation in attaining an end to the War with Russia/Ukraine. President Putin thanked the First Lady, Melania, for her involvement with children. He was very appreciative, and said that this will continue. We also spent a great deal of time talking about Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over. At the conclusion of the call, we agreed that there will be a meeting of our High Level Advisors, next week. The United States’ initial meetings will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, together with various other people, to be designated. A meeting location is to be determined. President Putin and I will then meet in an agreed upon location, Budapest, Hungary, to see if we can bring this “inglorious” War, between Russia and Ukraine, to an end. President Zelenskyy and I will be meeting tomorrow, in the Oval Office, where we will discuss my conversation with President Putin, and much more. I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation.
Putin invited Trump to Russia during the Alaska summit in August. While Trump has not taken Putin up on the offer, the two are set to meet in a more neutral location, Budapest, Hungary.
Outside of the upcoming diplomatic meetings set to take place between Washington and Moscow, Trump spoke of future economic cooperation as well.
“We also spent a great deal of time talking about Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over,” he said.
Back in May Trump promised Russia future trade once the war comes to an end.
Economic cooperation is a major factor in geopolitical stability. Trump also seeks to fulfill the promises of a mineral deal he got Ukraine to sign.
On Wednesday Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the peace process that began in Alaska is not finished.
According to Lavrov, Putin went to Alaska with a response to a US proposal presented by Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, during his visit to Moscow ahead of the summit.
Putin’s message was that Russia “accepts the proposal… and suggests a specific path for its implementation,” the minister said, without revealing any details about its nature.
Tensions between Washington and Moscow have risen significantly over the last few weeks with Trump mulling long-range missile shipments to Ukraine.
On Friday the Kremlin countered sentiment of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov who on Wednesday said that the momentum of peace that was built during the August summit in Alaska between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was largely gone now.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the “spirit” and “impulse” to reach a negotiated settlement in the Ukraine war which was generated at the Pursuing Peace summit is still alive.
Thursday’s call is the first interaction Trump had with Putin since the Pursuing Peace summit in Alaska back in August. While the event marked a positive milestone in the quest to resolve the Ukraine war, much of the hope appeared to fade as relations soured.
Ukraine’s Dictator and his henchmen will be seeking to secure long-range missiles from Trump during their in-person meeting Friday. Notably, when the autopen presidency of Joe Biden approved the use of long-range missiles against targets deep within Russia last year, a thermonuclear war nearly broke out.
The Ukrainian delegation has departed for the United States: Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, and several representatives of the diplomatic sector. They will hold a number of meetings.
I will also have the opportunity to come to Washington and meet with President Trump on Friday. I believe we will discuss a series of steps that I intend to propose. I am grateful to President Trump for our dialogue and his support.
There will be several other important meetings – with defense companies, and possibly with senators and members of Congress. I will also meet with energy companies. This is necessary – it was President Trump’s proposal – and I will meet with these companies because there are pressing needs linked to various formats of attacks, not even the attacks that Russia has already carried out. In any case, we must be prepared. So, it will be helpful.
Therefore, the main focus of the visit is air defense and our long-range capabilities aimed at exerting pressure on Russia for the sake of peace.
The Ukrainian delegation has departed for the United States: Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, and several representatives of the diplomatic sector. They will hold…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 13, 2025
Zelensky completed his homework and feels confident in his abilities to flatter Trump into feeling generous with his missiles.
We have already prepared our part of the homework ahead of the meeting with President Trump – both the military component and the economic one. Every detail is ready. The agenda of our meeting with the President of the United States is very substantive, and I thank everyone who… pic.twitter.com/Jwpp5bdn5h
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 15, 2025
