WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump over the weekend once again indicated that he has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and insisted progress is being made in ending the war in Ukraine. At the same time, he declined to give details on any such talks between the two leaders.

What You Need To Know

  • President Donald Trump over the weekend once again indicated that he has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and insisted progress is being made in ending the war in Ukraine
  • At the same time, he declined to give details on any such talks between the two leaders
  • The questioning came after the president told the New York Post in an interview on Friday that the pair had spoken on the phone about ending the nearly three-year-old war between Russia and Ukraine
  • Last week, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he would “probably” be meeting with Zelesnkyy next week as well as talking to Putin

“I don’t want to do that. We’re trying to end that war," Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday when asked to talk about his conversation with Putin. "That’s a war that would have never happened if I were president, never happened. But we’re making progress, but I can’t tell you.”

The questioning came after the president told the New York Post in an interview Friday that the pair had spoken on the phone about ending the nearly three-year-old war between Russia and Ukraine. In the interview, Trump would not say how many conversations took place, telling the New York Post, "I’d better not say.”

He added, however, that he believes Putin cares about the killing on the battlefield and wants to see an end to people dying. 

The U.S. leader frequently has touted his relationship with the Russian president, highlighting it on the campaign trail as an asset that would help him facilitate an end to the war. As a candidate in 2024, Trump pledged to help negotiate a deal between Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy to put a stop to the fighting before or within 24 hours of taking office should he win the presidency. 

Such an agreement did not happen before his inauguration and, since returning to the White House, Trump has sharpened his language about the Russian leader, urging him to make a deal with Ukraine and threatening to put “high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions” on the country. 

Last week, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he would “probably” be meeting with Zelenskyy next week as well as talking to Putin. 

The last known direct communication between Trump’s predecessor, former President Joe Biden, and Putin was just before Russia’s full invasion in February 2022, when the pair spoke over the phone.