[1] On November 7, 2024, Vladimir Putin congratulated Donald Trump on his victory in the 2024 US elections, and added that his desire towards ending the conflict in Ukraine "deserves attention".
[2] On November 9, 2024, Donald Trump's adviser Bryan Lanza stated that the US presidential administration would focus on a "realistic vision for peace" in Ukraine, instead of insisting on the returning of Crimea.
Fox News claimed that during his visit, Witkoff met with President of Russia Vladimir Putin, which was subsequently neither officially confirmed nor denied by the Kremlin.
[8] Subsequently, Trump instructed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff to lead the peace negotiations.
[15] According to CNN, the telephone conversation between Putin and Trump, along with the Pentagon's statements about European NATO members bearing their own military expenses, marked a significant change in American-European relations.
[19] The New York Times described the phone call as a turning point for Vladimir Putin, comparable in significance to the key battles in the three-year Ukrainian conflict.
[22] According to The Times, the 90-minute conversation was proof of the failure of attempts by European and Western powers to isolate Russia and turn Putin into an international pariah with economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure.
[26] United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, commenting on the conversation, emphasized that the desire for peace was not a "betrayal" of Ukraine, and noted that Russian aggression served as a "reset" for NATO.