After Meeting Zelensky, Trump Discusses Ukraine with Putin

President Donald Trump followed up his White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by discussing the country’s future directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call.
The call to Putin came after the August 18 summit with Zelensky and European leaders, where the central issue was establishing credible and lasting security guarantees for Ukraine.
In his public comments, Trump has been consistent about who he believes should lead this effort. He has stated that European nations must take the primary role, with the U.S. ready to provide “backup” support to their initiatives.
Adding another layer to his diplomatic engagement with Moscow, Trump also revealed an earlier, in-person meeting with Putin in Alaska on August 15. A key topic of that discussion was the possibility of future nuclear arms reductions, contingent on peace in Ukraine.