Putin says Russia ready to 'work' with Kyiv on 'memorandum' for possible peace deal

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday after speaking with Donald Trump that Moscow will propose a "memorandum" that it will be willing to work with Kyiv on outlining positions for a possible peace agreement.

"Russia will propose and will be ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum on a possible future peace agreement defining a range of positions," Putin told Russian media after a call with Trump.

He added that the document could outline "the principles of settlement, the timing of a possible peace agreement and so on -- including a possible ceasefire for a certain period of time if appropriate agreements are reached".

Putin said direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul last week put all sides on the "right path" towards ending the conflict in Ukraine, and calling on all sides to make "compromises".

"Contact between participants of the meeting and negotiations in Istanbul -- this contact was restarted and it gives us the basis to think that on the whole we are on the right path," Putin told Russian media after speaking to US leader Donald Trump, adding that both Moscow and Kyiv should show "maximum" effort to find "compromises that would suit all sides".

Trump on Monday said Russia and Ukraine would begin negotiations towards a ceasefire "immediately," after he held a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the grinding conflict. 

"Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform after the call, adding that the "tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent."

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine held direct negotiations in Istanbul last week for the first time in almost three years, but the talks ended without a commitment to a ceasefire.

After the negotiations, Trump announced that he would speak by phone with the Russian president in a bid to end the "bloodbath" in Ukraine, which has destroyed large swathes of the country and displaced millions of people.

Trump also said he would speak to Ukrainian president VolodymyrZelensky and NATO officials, expressing hope that a "ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war... will end".

Since taking office in January, Trump has repeatedly stressed that he wants to see an end to the conflict, and has recently backed calls for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.

Both Moscow and Washington have previously stressed the need for a meeting on the conflict between Putin and Trump.

The US president has also argued that "nothing's going to happen" on the conflict until he meets Putin face-to-face.

At the talks in Istanbul, which were also attended by US officials, Russia and Ukraine agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each and trade ideas on a possible truce, but with no concrete commitment.

Ukraine's top negotiator, Defence Minister RustemUmerov, said that the "next step" would be a meeting between Putin and Zelensky.

Russia said it had taken note of the request.

"We consider it possible, but only as a result of the work and upon achieving certain results in the form of an agreement between the two sides," the Kremlin's spokesperson said.