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What did Trump's call with Putin set in motion?
Summary
A look back at the telephone conversation of 12 February 2025 and the announcement of talks on ending the war in Ukraine.
What happened when the leaders of the United States and Russia spoke by telephone on 12 February 2025? U.S. President Donald Trump announced that negotiations with Russia to end the war in Ukraine would begin, saying they would start immediately.
The announcement followed a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The conversation was said to have lasted an hour and a half. It was the first direct exchange of views between the leaders of the two countries since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
What was announced
The central point of the day was the declared start of talks. Trump presented the call as the opening of a negotiating process aimed at ending the war, which had been under way since the full-scale invasion of February 2022.
Why it mattered
The call ended a period in which the two leaders had not spoken directly about the war. By announcing that negotiations would start straight away, Trump put the question of a settlement on the agenda of U.S.–Russian contacts.
The outcome of those negotiations was not known on 12 February 2025. The day is remembered chiefly for the call itself and for the announcement that followed it.
