Putin ready to discuss Ukraine war, nuclear disarmament with Trump
Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to engage in a phone conversation with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, to discuss ending the war in Ukraine and reducing nuclear weapons.
According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, Moscow is awaiting a signal from Washington to arrange the call's details, Reuters reports.
"Putin is ready. We await signals [from Washington]. Everyone is prepared. It’s hard to predict the outcome here. As soon as there’s anything to announce, we’ll inform you," Peskov stated.
Speaking via video link at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, Trump expressed his desire to collaborate with Putin to end the war in Ukraine and significantly reduce global nuclear arsenals. "We’d like to see denuclearization... and I will tell you that President Putin was very fond of the idea of greatly reducing nuclear weapons," Trump said.
Putin seeks to expand nuclear negotiations
Peskov confirmed that Putin is interested in resuming discussions on nuclear disarmament but emphasized that these talks should include other nuclear powers, such as France and the United Kingdom.
"There is much to discuss, and we need to address it. Much time has been lost. We’ve expressed this interest before, so the ball is now in the U.S. court, which has ceased all substantive contact with our country," Peskov said.
Peskov also highlighted the approaching expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) in February 2026. The treaty, which limits the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads held by the United States and Russia, is the last major arms control agreement between the two countries.
Diverging views on the war in Ukraine
Commenting on Trump’s request at Davos for OPEC and Saudi Arabia to lower oil prices to hasten the end of the war in Ukraine, Peskov remarked, "No. This conflict does not depend on oil prices. It stems from threats to the Russian Federation’s national security, the risks faced by Russians living in well-known territories, and the complete refusal of Americans and Europeans to address Russia’s concerns. It has nothing to do with oil prices."
Peskov also rejected Trump’s assertion that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was prepared to reach a peace deal, pointing out that Zelensky had prohibited any negotiations with Putin through a 2022 decree.
"To achieve an agreement, negotiations are essential. [But] Zelensky prohibited himself from negotiating through his own decree."
Zelensky recently stated that a ceasefire agreement would require at least 200,000 European peacekeeping forces to prevent another Russian offensive. In this context, a potential conversation between Putin and Trump could pave the way for new negotiations on a matter of global importance.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
