On May 19, at exactly 5 pm Moscow time, a long-anticipated phone call took place between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. Spanning more than two hours, the conversation came amid fresh diplomatic tremors in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, following the resumption of direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv in Istanbul. The Kremlin later described the call as “very useful,” and both leaders seemed to treat the discussion not as a perfunctory gesture, but as a potential turning point in the grinding war that has reshaped the global order since 2022.

The significance of this call cannot be overstated. While President Joe Biden’s administration has maintained a hardline stance on Russia, advocating continued military support for Ukraine and emphasizing territorial integrity, Trump’s intervention marks a dramatic departure. Declaring his intent to “stop the bloodbath,” Trump is reasserting his role on the world stage as a self-styled dealmaker and peace broker, even without the backing of the US State Department.

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the Putin-Trump call should be viewed within the broader context of the latest peace talks in Istanbul. Those Turkish-mediated negotiations – the first direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations since 2022 – yielded what Moscow has called a “constructive” dialogue. Key developments included the mutual presentation of ceasefire conditions, initial steps toward a large-scale prisoner exchange, and talks about a second round of negotiations. Most notably, discussions are underway about the possibility of a direct meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Putin, speaking shortly after the May 19 call, confirmed that he and Trump discussed these new developments and potential diplomatic solutions in detail. “We’ve agreed with the US president that Russia will propose and be ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a........

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