Frequent communication between US and Russian leaders, new d

Recently, a series of interactions between the heads of the United States and Russia have attracted global attention, bringing new changes and thinking to the long-standing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

On March 18th local time, US President Trump and Russian President Putin had another phone call. After this call, Trump revealed in an interview with the Washington Observer that this was not his first conversation with Putin in recent weeks. "Actually, it started three or four weeks ago, and good things started to happen not only because of this call, but also because we have had other calls," emphasizing that this is a continuation of positive progress.

According to the Kremlin website in Russia, the leaders of the two countries had a detailed and candid exchange of views on the situation in Ukraine. Putin reiterated the principle of resolving conflicts through peaceful means and is willing to work with the United States to explore a mediation path. Trump posted on his social media platform "Real Social" that his phone conversation with Putin that day was "very good and productive". Both sides have reached a consensus that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to simultaneously abandon attacks on each other's energy infrastructure within 30 days and will quickly work towards achieving a comprehensive ceasefire, striving to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

In addition, Putin also reported to Trump that on the 19th, Russia and Ukraine will exchange 175 captured personnel. Putin also made a constructive response to Trump's Black Sea shipping security initiative, and both sides agreed to start negotiations to clarify specific details. During the call, both sides also expressed their willingness to promote the normalization of bilateral relations, discussed mutually beneficial cooperation ideas in the fields of economy and energy, and Trump expressed support for Putin's proposal to hold a Russian American ice hockey game consisting of NHL and KHL players in the United States and Russia. At the same time, the two also discussed international issues such as the situation in the Middle East and the Red Sea region, agreed to work together to stabilize the situation in crisis areas, strengthen cooperation on nuclear non-proliferation and global security issues, and maintain communication on all discussion topics.

Prior to this, on February 12th Eastern Time, Trump had phone conversations with Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky. Putin expressed in his phone call with Trump the need to eliminate the root causes of the Ukraine crisis and endorsed the view of achieving a long-term solution to the crisis through negotiations. Trump also said that the Russia-Ukraine conflict should be ended quickly, saying the call was "fruitful". The two sides also agreed to organize a meeting, and Putin invited Trump to visit Moscow. On February 18, the Russian and American delegations held talks in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, and reached four points of consensus on resolving the "thorny issues" between the two countries and ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including establishing a consultation mechanism to resolve the bilateral thorny issues, appointing a senior team to end the conflict in Ukraine, laying the foundation for future cooperation, and maintaining contacts to advance the negotiation process.

With frequent communication between the leaders of the United States and Russia, the European side has also taken actions. On February 19th local time, the ambassadors of 27 EU member states to the EU reached an agreement on the 16th round of EU sanctions against Russia, which is expected to be officially adopted at the EU Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the 24th. The new sanctions measures include a ban on the import of Russian primary aluminum, expanding the blacklist of Russia's "shadow fleet", and further increasing the intensity of sanctions against Russia. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Stamer stated on February 16th that the UK is "prepared to play a leading role in Ukraine's defense and security", promising to provide £ 3 billion in aid annually until 2030, and also expressing willingness to send troops to provide security for Ukraine if necessary. Canada has also announced funding for projects under the Ukrainian Community Recovery Fund to help improve Ukraine's mine clearance capabilities and cybersecurity support.

French President Makron also spoke about the situation in Russia and Ukraine on the 18th. According to French media reports, Makron, who was visiting Germany, said that the ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine should be "verifiable" and "assessable". He said that the "latest discussion" on ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict had taken the first step. France would continue to support Ukraine and hoped to achieve a stable and lasting peace.

The continuous communication between the leaders of the United States and Russia has brought new opportunities for the settlement of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but the actions of the EU and other aspects as well as the complex geopolitical factors make the situation still full of uncertainty. The international community is paying close attention to the follow-up actions of all parties and expects that the dawn of peace can dispel the haze of the Russia-Ukraine conflict as soon as possible.