Donald Trump and Mad Vlad agreed during a call to seek a limited ceasefire against energy and infrastructure targets in the Ukraine war, according to the White House.
The White House described it as the first step in a “movement to peace” that it hopes will eventually include a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and a full and lasting end to the fighting. It said negotiations would “begin immediately” on those steps.
But it was not immediately clear whether Ukraine is on board with the phased ceasefire plan.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “Both leaders agreed this conflict needs to end with a lasting peace.
“They also stressed the need for improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia. The blood and treasure that both Ukraine and Russia have been spending in this war would be better spent on the needs of their people.
“This conflict should never have started and should have been ended long ago with sincere and good faith peace efforts.”
She added: “The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace.
“These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East.”
Leavitt added the two leaders spoke about the Middle East as a “region of potential cooperation” to prevent future conflicts, including stopping the “proliferation of strategic weapons”.
They also shared the view that Iran should “never be in a position to destroy Israel”, she added..
Trump and Putin also agreed a future with an improved relationship between the two countries has “huge upside”, including “enormous” economic deals and stability.
Putin also called on Trump to end foreign military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine as the US looks to bring an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the Kremlin.
The US President and his Russian counterpart held a lengthy phone conversation as the White House pushes for Russia to sign off on its 30-day ceasefire proposal
Trump said before the call that he expected to discuss with Putin land and power plants that have been seized during the three-year war.
Ukrainian officials last week agreed to the American proposal during talks in Saudi Arabia led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains skeptical that Putin is ready for peace as Russian forces continue to pound Ukraine.
The engagement is just the latest turn in dramatically shifting US-Russia relations, as Trump made quickly ending the conflict a top priority, even at the expense of straining ties with longtime American allies who want Putin to pay a price for the invasion.
“It’s a bad situation in Russia, and it’s a bad situation in Ukraine,” Trump told reporters on Monday.
“What’s happening in Ukraine is not good, but we’re going to see if we can work a peace agreement, a ceasefire and peace. And I think we’ll be able to do it.”
In preparation for the Trump-Putin call, White House special envoy Steve Witkoff last week met Putin in Moscow to discuss the proposal.
Secretary of state Marco Rubio had persuaded senior Ukrainian officials during talks in Saudi Arabia to agree to the ceasefire framework.
Putin last week said he agreed in principle with the US proposal, but emphasised that Russia would seek guarantees that Ukraine would not use a break in hostilities to rearm and continue mobilisation.
He has also demanded that Ukraine renounce joining the Nato military alliance, sharply cut its army, and protect Russian language and culture to keep the country in Moscow’s orbit.
The US president said Washington and Moscow have already begun discussing “dividing up certain assets” between Ukraine and Russia as part of a deal to end the conflict.
