"It was a very productive one": Trump on call with Putin, eyes end to Russia-Ukraine war

Washington [US], October 17 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) stated he had concluded a productive telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, "I have just concluded my telephone conversation with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, and it was a very productive one."
Trump/115384956858741387" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115384956858741387
He added, "President Putin congratulated me and the United States on the Great Accomplishment of Peace in the Middle East, something that, he said, has been dreamed of for centuries." Trump expressed optimism, noting, "I actually believe that the Success in the Middle East will help in our negotiation in attaining an end to the War with Russia/Ukraine."
Trump also highlighted President Putin's appreciation for First Lady Melania Trump's work with children. "President Putin thanked the First Lady, Melania, for her involvement with children. He was very appreciative, and said that this will continue," he wrote.
The US President further stated that trade between the two countries was a key topic during the call. "We also spent a great deal of time talking about Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over," Trump said.
Outlining the next steps, he wrote, "At the conclusion of the call, we agreed that there will be a meeting of our High Level Advisors, next week. The United States' initial meetings will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, together with various other people, to be designated. A meeting location is to be determined."
Trump also mentioned plans for a direct meeting with President Putin. "President Putin and I will then meet in an agreed upon location, Budapest, Hungary, to see if we can bring this 'inglorious' War, between Russia and Ukraine, to an end," he said.
The US President added that he would meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the call and other matters. "President Zelenskyy and I will be meeting tomorrow, in the Oval Office, where we will discuss my conversation with President Putin, and much more. I believe great progress was made with today's telephone conversation," Trump wrote.
The call comes ahead of Trump's scheduled meeting with Zelenskyy at the White House, highlighting the ongoing US effort to restart negotiations with Moscow.
Over the weekend, Trump told Zelenskyy that he might give the Russian leader an ultimatum: get serious about peace talks, or the US would provide Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles to bolster its offensive against Russia.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, "I might have to speak to Russia, to be honest with you, about Tomahawks. Do they want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I don't think so. I think I might speak to Russia about that, in all fairness. I told that to President Zelenskyy, because Tomahawks are a new step of aggression."
The US has increased intelligence sharing with Ukraine, including targeting information deeper inside Russian territory, as part of a strategic shift aimed at reviving stalled negotiations with Moscow after the Alaska summit between Trump and Putin failed to produce a peace agreement, according to CNN.
Zelenskyy is expected to push Trump for additional long-range weapons capable of striking targets inside Russian territory when he meets the US President at the White House on Friday. Trump has indicated openness to the idea in recent days, reflecting a shift in his approach to the war since the Alaska summit, CNN reported. (ANI)