Immediately after concluding talks with Ukrainian and European leaders about the country’s security, President Donald Trump’s next move was a phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump confirmed the call to reporters on Monday.
The call was a direct follow-up to the August 18 meetings in Washington with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Those discussions were aimed at forging a consensus on how to provide lasting security for Ukraine once the current conflict ends.
In his conversation with Putin, and in his public statements, Trump has pushed the idea that Europe should be the primary provider of these security guarantees. He stated his administration’s readiness to assist, but in a “backup” capacity.
Trump also used the occasion to reveal details of an earlier meeting with Putin. He said that in Alaska on August 15, they had a forward-looking conversation about reducing the U.S. and Russian nuclear stockpiles in a post-conflict world.