STORY: Russian President Vladimir Putin, after a call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday (May 19), said that Moscow was ready to work with Ukraine on a memorandum about a future peace accord and that efforts to end the war in Ukraine were on the right track.

Putin thanked Trump for supporting the resumption of direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv, after the two sides met in Turkey last week for their first face-to-face negotiations since March 2022. He said that Trump noted Russia's support for peace, though the key question was how to move towards that goal.

"We have agreed with the president of the United States that Russia will propose and is ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum on a possible future peace accord, defining a number of positions, such as, for example, the principles of settlement, the timing of a possible peace agreement," Putin told reporters near the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

He said that as part of this work, the two countries would have to define a possible ceasefire, including its timeframe. Ukraine, its European allies and the United States have all urged Putin to accept an immediate, unconditional ceasefire lasting at least 30 days.

Putin added that the holding of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine "gives reason to believe that we are generally on the right track."

"I would like to note that, on the whole, Russia's position is clear. The main thing for us is to eliminate the root causes of this crisis," Putin said. "We just need to determine the most effective ways to move towards peace."

European leaders say Putin is not serious about peace, though they fear Trump and he may force a punitive peace deal on Kyiv that will leave Ukraine essentially shorn of a fifth of its territory and lacking a strong security guarantee against possible future attack from Russia.

Former U.S. President Joe Biden, Western European leaders and Ukraine cast Russia's invasion as an imperial-style land grab and repeatedly vowed to defeat Russian forces which they say could one day attack NATO, a claim denied by Moscow.

Putin casts the war as a watershed moment in Moscow's relations with the West, which he says humiliated Russia after the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union by enlarging NATO and encroaching on what he considers Moscow's sphere of influence, including Ukraine.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, SPEAKING AFTER CALL WITH U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYING CONVERSATION WAS HELPFUL, SAYING RUSSIA WANTS TO ACHIEVE PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT IN UKRAINE, SAYING RUSSIAN POSITION IS TO ELIMINATE ROOT CAUSES OF CRISIS

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: SOCHI, RUSSIA (MAY 19, 2025) (RUSSIAN POLL - Access all)

1. RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN WALKING TO JOURNALISTS AFTER PHONE CALL WITH U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP

2. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING:

"The conversation (with President Donald Trump) indeed took place and lasted more than two hours. I would like to note that it was very informative and very frank and overall, in my view, very useful in this regard. First, I thanked the President of the United States for the support of the United States in the resumption of direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on a possible peace agreement, on the resumption of negotiations that were interrupted by the Ukrainian side, as you know, back in 2022."

3. PUTIN SPEAKING

4. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING:

"The U.S. president has expressed his position on the ceasefire, and I for my part also noted that Russia also favours a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. We should simply determine the most effective ways to move towards peace. We agreed with the U.S. president that Russia will suggest and is ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum on a possible future peace treaty, which defines a number of issues, such as the principles of settlement, the terms of a possible peace agreement and so on, including a possible ceasefire for a certain period of time, if the appropriate agreements are reached."

5. PUTIN SPEAKING

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING:

"The contacts between the participants of the meeting and the negotiations in Istanbul have resumed, which suggests that we are generally on the right track. I would like to emphasise once again that the conversation (with President Trump) was very constructive and I highly appreciate it. The issue, of course, is for the Russian and Ukrainian sides to show maximum desire for peace and to find compromises that would suit all sides. At the same time, I should like to point out that Russia's position is clear overall. The main thing for us is to eliminate the root causes of this crisis."

7. PUTIN WALKING AWAY