Russia-Ukraine war updates: Trump says talks to start ‘immediately’

Thank you for joining us.

Read about the possible retirement of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov here.

Watch what leaders Vladimir Putin of Russia and Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said after their talks with US President Donald Trump here.

And follow our broader coverage of the conflict here.

We will be closing this live page soon. Here’s a recap of today’s major events:

• Trump held a more than two-hour phone call with Putin and said ceasefire talks between Moscow and Kyiv would start “immediately”.
• Putin said Russia is ready to work with Ukraine on a memorandum to address some of the key issues in any peace deal, including the timing of the settlement and a potential temporary ceasefire.
• Zelenskyy renewed Kyiv’s call for a “full and unconditional ceasefire” and urged the US to remain engaged in the peace process.
• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who participated in a call between Trump and European leaders, said Europe and the US were united in supporting Ukraine “on its path towards a ceasefire”
• Russia has banned Amnesty International, accusing it of “Russophobia” and advocating on behalf of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president says the country’s army will not withdraw from regions in the east of the country that are currently partially occupied by Russia to secure a ceasefire.

“No one will withdraw our troops from our territories,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters.

Friedrich Merz says Europe will increase pressure on Russia through sanctions.

“Europe and America are very united on this point: We will closely support Ukraine on its path toward a ceasefire,” Merz wrote in a social media post after talks with Trump.

Alexander Stubb says the call between Trump and European leaders lasted for one hour and was “productive”.

“We discussed the ongoing negotiations, ceasefire, and steps towards a just and lasting peace,” the Finnish president said in a social media post.

“It is important to continue close coordination between the United States and Europe. Finland continues to support the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”

The Ukrainian president says his country is ready to hold negotiations with Russia in Turkiye, Switzerland or the Vatican, renewing Kyiv’s call for a “full and unconditional ceasefire”.

“It is not necessary to convince Ukraine, and our representatives are prepared to make real decisions in negotiations,” Zelenskyy said in a statement. “What’s needed is a mirrored readiness from Russia to engage in meaningful talks.”

Zelenskyy also called for continued US engagement to resolve the conflict.

“It is crucial for all of us that the United States does not distance itself from the talks and the pursuit of peace, because the only one who benefits from that is Putin,” he said.

The Ukrainian president urged more sanctions against Russia “if Putin puts forward unrealistic demands”.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says European and US leaders have welcomed Pope Leo XIV’s readiness to host Russia-Ukraine talks at the Vatican.

Meloni’s office said European leaders, including Ukraine’s Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, spoke to Trump after his call with Putin.

“Work is under way to immediately start negotiations between the parties that can lead to a ceasefire as soon as possible and build the conditions for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” Meloni’s office said in a statement.

“In this regard, the Holy Father’s willingness to host the talks at the Vatican was considered positive. Italy is ready to do its part to facilitate contacts and work for peace,” the statement added.

Here’s a recap of the latest developments:

• After a two-hour phone call with Putin, Trump says Russia and Ukraine will “immediately” start talks to reach a ceasefire and end the war.
• Putin says he told Trump that “Russia also advocates a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis”.
• The US president says he briefed Ukraine’s Zelenskyy and other European leaders on his talks with Putin.
• Washington suggests that the Vatican could host negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian officials.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says Trump debriefed her and Zelenskyy along with the leaders of France, Italy, Finland and Germany about his call with Putin

“I want to thank President Trump for his tireless efforts to bring a ceasefire to Ukraine,” she wrote on X.

“It’s important that the US stays engaged. We will continue to support Volodymyr Zelenskyy to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine.”

The two leaders have held a much-anticipated phone call as Washington pushes to end the war between Moscow and Kyiv.

Here are the takeaways from what US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have said about the talks.

• The call was good: Both presidents emphasised that their two-hour conversation went well. Trump said the “tone and spirit” of the talks were “excellent”. Putin described the call as “informative” and “frank”.
• Talks needed for ceasefire: Earlier this year, Ukraine agreed to a Trump-proposed 30-day ceasefire, but Russia did not approve it. After speaking to Putin, Trump said Kyiv and Moscow will start immediate negotiations to reach a ceasefire, suggesting that even a temporary halt to the war requires talks.
• US remains engaged: Over the past few weeks, US officials have suggested that Trump may give up and no longer push for an end to the war. But his talks with Putin and Zelenskyy today and the positive statements that followed show that Washington is still diplomatically active on the issue – at least for now.

The US vice president has met with Pope Leo XIV and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states and international organisations.

“The Vice President and Archbishop Gallagher discussed religious freedom, the persecution of Christians around the world, and the shared commitment of President Trump and Pope Leo XIV to stop the killing in Ukraine and the Middle East,” the White House said in a statement.

The readout did not include details of Vance’s meeting with the pope.

The statement was released shortly before Trump suggested that the Vatican could host talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Following his conversation with Trump, the Russian president told reporters that Moscow wants a “peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis”.

“We must simply determine the most effective paths towards peace,” Putin said.

He called for a memorandum to address some of the key issues in any peace talks, including the timing of the settlement and a possible temporary ceasefire.

“I would like to emphasise once again that the conversation was very constructive,” Putin said of his call with Trump.

He added that the main question was whether the parties could find compromises acceptable to all sides.

While popes often call for peace, it is not common for the Vatican to be involved directly in diplomacy to end wars.

But Trump has suggested that Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, may play an active role in resolving the crisis between Russia and Ukraine.

“The Vatican, as represented by the Pope, has stated that it would be very interested in hosting the negotiations,” the US president wrote on social media. “Let the process begin!”

Speaking to Al Jazeera about what obstacles to peace Trump might seek to resolve during his calls today, Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko argued there was only one such obstacle: the Russian president.

“I don’t know what President Trump sees as an obstacle, but I think the whole world understands and sees that the only obstacle to peace is Vladimir Putin, and his [will] to continue the war,” he said from Kyiv.

“Russia doesn’t want to end the war – that’s it.”

Goncharenko said Russia was intensifying its military activities while playing a “word game” that it wanted peace on certain, unclear conditions.

“If Trump in this call … can really put pressure on Putin, in this case we will have peace. If not, the war will continue,” he added.

Asked whether Trump might see the Ukrainian view that Russia was not truly seeking peace as problematic, Goncharenko said Ukraine had done everything asked of it.

“What is problematic in the Ukrainian position?” he asked.

“Donald Trump said, ‘I want to have a complete ceasefire right now.’ Ukraine immediately agreed.

“Donald Trump said, ‘I want Ukraine to go to Turkey to meet with Russia.’ Ukrainian president said, ‘I’m coming in person. I’m ready to meet with Putin,’ and physically came there. And Putin said, ‘No, I will not go,’ and sent some low-level delegation.”

Goncharenko also said Ukraine’s commitment to peace was clear. “Once more: We agree to stop the war right now, just immediately, today,” he said.

This talk, of course, was very important for Vladimir Putin because he’s been waiting for years for direct talks with the US.

He believes that the US – because of its influence – can resolve any problems. Vladimir Putin believes that initially the US was standing behind Ukraine in this conflict, masterminding it.

So, to address the so-called root causes of the conflict, it was important to speak directly with Donald Trump and with the US.

Amnesty International has responded to Russia’s move today to criminalise its activities in the country by designating it as an “undesirable” organisation, calling it part of Moscow’s effort to “silence dissent and isolate civil society”.

“In a country where scores of activists and dissidents have been imprisoned, killed or exiled, where independent media has been smeared, blocked or forced to self-censor, and where civil society organizations have been outlawed or liquidated, you must be doing something right if the Kremlin bans you,” Amnesty Secretary-General Agnes Callamard said in a statement.

“The authorities are deeply mistaken if they believe that by labelling our organisation ‘undesirable’ we will stop our work documenting and exposing human rights violations – quite the opposite,” the statement added. “We will redouble our efforts to expose Russia’s egregious human rights violations both at home and abroad.”

Callamard said the London-based rights group would specifically keep documenting Russia’s “war crimes” in Ukraine and speak up for “prisoners of conscience” in Russia.

“Put simply, no authoritarian assault will silence our fight for justice,” Callamard added.