According to information from the American news resource Axios, during a phone conversation conducted by U
S. President Donald Trump with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, a quite unexpected detail emerged in its nature. According to sources, Trump stated that he had approached Russian President Vladimir Putin with a request to propose a formula to Kyiv and Europe that they could find mutually acceptable and agree upon—specifically, one that would not be immediately rejected. This statement became a separate point in the context of Washington’s efforts to facilitate a compromise in the ongoing conflict, which has been going on for many months and is deepening tensions in the European region. After finishing his conversation with Putin, Trump immediately called Zelenskyy. This telephone conference also included leaders from countries such as Germany, France, Italy, Finland, and a representative of the European Commission, indicating broad international coordination around the issue of peace in Ukraine. According to sources who were directly present during the conversation, Trump reported that the Russian leader had agreed to immediately begin direct negotiations to cease fire. At the same time, the atmosphere of the discussion included a brief pause with several seconds of silence, indicating the surprising nature of the situation and possibly some astonishment among those present. Zelenskyy, known for his cautious approach regarding long-term peace commitments, noted that there had been previous negotiations with Putin regarding a ceasefire, including an initial round of discussions held last Friday in Istanbul. The Ukrainian president emphasized that the situation surrounding the negotiation process is complicated, and that if Trump does not pressure the Kremlin, Putin will not take any steps forward. Other world leaders participating in the call also pointed out that Trump’s messages referred to the idea of starting peace negotiations with an immediate and total ceasefire for 30 days. According to a White House representative, Trump never intended to consider a ceasefire as a prerequisite for negotiations; he claimed that Zelenskyy and other leaders misunderstood him. It is also reported that Trump highlighted Putin’s willingness to propose a "peace memorandum" with his conditions and ultimate goals for ending hostilities. During the discussion, Trump emphasized that he himself had asked Putin to present a proposal that Ukraine and Europe could agree to and that would not be immediately rejected. He saw this as a potential first step toward a possible diplomatic solution. Zelenskyy, in turn, underscored that previous rounds of negotiations, including those that took place last week, did not yield any concrete results. According to him, without active pressure from the U.S., no significant concessions from the Russian leadership should be expected. He also pointed out that the Kremlin continues to avoid specific commitments and documentary evidence of their intentions to end the war. In this context, there was information that Russia had hardly submitted any official documents or proposals regarding the conflict’s resolution over many months, and the fact that Putin agreed to consider presenting his conditions in the form of a document is a significant progress, although Moscow’s stance remains rigid and does not suggest a quick resolution of the conflict. Overall, the participants of the phone call were surprised by Trump’s statement expressing satisfaction with the information received from Putin, which sources described as an unexpected and even somewhat unpredictable step. However, experts note that Russia’s actual intentions remain unclear, and its position remains entirely hardline and unwavering. Political analysts suggest that this message may be rooted in a desire to appear more flexible diplomatically and possibly to prepare the ground for further compromises or negotiations. Amid this, it is worth noting that the official spokesperson of the Biden administration, U.S. Secretary of State Mark R. Rubio, issued a statement dismissing any accusations or criticism regarding the U.S. administration’s position in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Rubio assured that the Trump administration never made concessions to Russia, and any claims about "surrender" or "concessions" were unfounded and exaggerated. Following these events, the U.S. president stated in his microblog on May 19 that Ukraine and Russia would "immediately" begin negotiations to cease hostilities. At the same time, he did not mention any official demands from his colleagues for an unconditional end to the war and avoided referencing pressure if Moscow refuses to make concessions, which could indicate an attempt to convey to the global community an idea of a new, possibly softer diplomatic approach, albeit without clear guarantees of its effectiveness.