Russia and Putin · Second term · № 109
After a two-hour call with Putin, left ceasefire terms to the two sides and held off on sanctions
“Well, because I think there's a chance of getting something done, and then if you do that, you can also make it much worse. But there could be a time where that's going to happen.”
- Said
- , Exchange with reporters at the White House
- Subject
- May 19 Putin call
- Type
- Sanctions and pressure
- Topic
- Ukraine & Russia
- Era
- Second term
What happened
Trump gave the answer on May 19, 2025, when asked why he had not increased sanctions on Russia. After his call with Putin that day, he wrote that Russia and Ukraine would "immediately start negotiations toward a cease-fire" and that the conditions "will be negotiated between the two parties." He also wrote that Russia wanted "largescale trade with the United States" once the war was over, "and I agree." Putin said Russia was ready to work on a "memorandum" on a future peace accord and that the "root causes" of the crisis had to be addressed. Ukraine had accepted the U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in March. Trump told reporters that if there was no progress, "I'd just back away." The European Union and the United Kingdom announced new sanctions on Russia the next day. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Rosneft and Lukoil in October 2025.
Sources
- Remarks on Presenting the Medal of Sacrifice and an Exchange With Reporters
- Statement on the President's Telephone Conversation With President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin of Russia
- Trump and Putin talk more than 2 hours, but there's no Russia-Ukraine ceasefire
- Trump fails to secure Ukraine ceasefire after Putin call: What’s next?
- China and India to face supply jolt as U.S. targets Russia's oil giants