Washington, May 20,2025: US President Donald Trump told European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after his phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin that he had asked Russia to present a proposal on Ukraine that “people can agree to” rather than reject immediately, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Trump reportedly said that Putin would draft a “peace memo” that will include his terms for achieving a ceasefire in Ukraine and eventually resolving the conflict.
Trump also dismissed the idea of imposing additional sanctions on Russia, which European leaders hoped he would do after the call, the sources were cited as saying. This reportedly “stunned” the heads of Germany, France, Italy, Finland and the European Commission, who were on the line with the US president as he talked with Zelenskyy on the phone after his call with Putin.
In addition, whereas a European source described the call to Axios as “constructive,” another source said that Zelenskyy thought it was “bad.” The US administration has yet to comment on the issue.
Putin and Trump held a two-hours-long phone conversation on Monday. Following the talks, the Russian leader said that Moscow was ready to work with Kiev on a possible future peace treaty. The US president said he did not want to increase sanctions pressure on Russia because there was still “a chance of getting something done.”
