Trump’s phone call to Putin deemed ‘positive’ for possible negotiations to end prolonged crisis

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations welcomes all efforts to resolve the Ukraine-Russia conflict and sees the phone call between the US and Russian leaders as a “positive thing”, a UN spokesman said on Feb 12.

“What we would appreciate are any efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine that would involve the Russian and Ukrainian sides. And so obviously, if both of them are willing to be involved in a process, that would be a welcome development,” said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, following news of a phone conversation between US and Russian presidents, and also one between US and Ukraine leaders.

“Given the importance of the United States and the Russian Federation, the UN welcomes any efforts to resolve issues through regular contact,” the spokesman said.

The White House and the Kremlin announced separately on Feb 12 that US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call that day.

When asked whether the UN will be part of the negotiations, Haq said, “We would have to see what role we would have to play. Obviously, as we’ve said many times over the last three years, the United Nations is willing to play a good offices role if asked to by the parties.”

Trump said that he and Putin agreed during their phone conversation that Washington and Moscow will immediately engage in direct negotiations aimed at ending the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

“I just had a lengthy and highly productive phone call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia,” Trump said on Feb 12, offering his version of the content of the call in a post on Truth Social.

“We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s nations. We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President (Volodymyr) Zelensky, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now,” Trump said.

He said he has asked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff to lead the US negotiation team.

Trump said he feels “strongly” that the negotiations between the US and Russia “will be successful”.

Trump revealed that he also spoke with Ukrainian leader Zelensky after the call with Putin. “I just spoke to President Volodymyr Zelensky. The conversation went very well. He, like President Putin, wants to make peace. We discussed a variety of topics having to do with the war, but mostly, the meeting that is being set up on Friday (Feb 14) in Munich, where Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the delegation,” Trump wrote.

Trump has sent Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Ukraine for a Feb 12 meeting with Zelensky, who will later attend the Munich Security Conference, which will take place from Feb 14 to 16.

Earlier, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that it is unrealistic to expect Ukraine to restore its 2014 borders in any negotiations with Moscow and that NATO membership for Ukraine is off the table. His remarks drew sharp criticism from European political figures.

Former European Council President Donald Tusk said on X: “All we need is peace. A JUST PEACE. Ukraine, Europe, and the United States should work on this together. TOGETHER.”

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, reaffirmed Ukraine’s territorial integrity, declaring, “Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity are unconditional.” She stressed the need for Europe to play a central role in strengthening Ukraine and providing robust security guarantees in any negotiations.