Putin Blinks First: Donald Trump Claims Russia Is Ready to End the Ukraine War

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday hinted at a possible ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict following a telephonic conversation with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, while maintaining a hard line on Iran's nuclear ambitions.

The call, held at Moscow's initiative, lasted more than 90 minutes and was described as "frank and businesslike" by Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, who spoke to reporters including from AFP during a phone briefing.

Trump, speaking after the conversation, indicated that the Russian leader may be preparing to pause hostilities.

“And I think we're going to come up with a solution relatively quickly, I hope... I think he'd like to see a solution, I can tell you, and that's good," he added.

Has Putin Finally Signalled a Ukraine Ceasefire?

Trump further stated that Putin "suggested a little bit of a ceasefire" and hinted that an official announcement from Moscow could be imminent.

He expressed his belief that Putin "was ready to make a deal a while ago," but claimed that outside influences had previously "made it difficult" for the Russian President to come to the table.

The leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year following Russia's invasion of its neighbour in 2022.

Trump's remarks paint a picture of a Russia eager to pivot toward a deal, provided the right conditions are met, and an American administration leveraging its military and diplomatic weight to reshape global security.

The conversation covered considerable ground beyond Ukraine. The presidents "paid particular attention to the situation regarding Iran and in the Persian Gulf," Ushakov said.

On the question of Iran's nuclear capabilities, Putin reportedly offered to assist the US regarding Iranian enrichment. However, Trump remained firm in his response: "Before you help me, I want to end your war."

Ushakov said Putin "highlighted the inevitable and extremely damaging consequences not only for Iran and its neighbours, but also for the entire international community, should the US and Israel resort to military action once again."

He added that "Vladimir Putin considers Donald Trump's decision to extend the ceasefire with Iran to be the right one, as this should give negotiations a chance and, overall, help to stabilise the situation."

(With inputs from ANI)