Putin Signals Readiness for New Ukraine Talks, Zelenskyy Remains Cautious

On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin informed his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, of Moscow's readiness to engage in a new round of peace negotiations with Kyiv. These talks were proposed to commence after June 22, contingent upon the completion of prisoner and soldier body exchanges between the involved parties.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's response focused solely on the exchange process. He did not explicitly state whether Ukraine would participate in the subsequent round of discussions. Instead, he indicated that the exchanges would be finalized, and the next steps would then be deliberated.

This phone call marked the fifth instance of communication between Putin and Trump since the latter assumed office. The call signaled a significant shift in U.S.-Russia relations, representing a departure from the policies of the previous administration.