'Ukraine truce talks to start immediately': Trump | Highlights of his phone calls with Putin, Zelensky

US President Donald Trump on Monday said his call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin went very well and that Moscow and Kyiv would immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire and end to the war.

"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 his over two-hour-long phone call, adding that the "tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent."

Trump said he held a joint call with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky as well as the leaders of the European Union, France, Italy, Germany and Finland following his call with Putin. Trump informed those leaders that negotiations would start immediately, he said.

Trump floated the idea of newly installed Pope Leo as host for the talks, saying: "The Vatican, as represented by the Pope, has stated that it would be very interested in hosting the negotiations."

Trump said that the "tone and spirit of the conversation (with Putin) were excellent," and that Russia wants to do "large-scale" trade with the US once the war is over. He said that Ukraine would also benefit from trade "in the process of rebuilding its country."

Here are the key highlights of Trump-Putin phone call:

• The Kremlin said Putin and Trump were both in favour of normalising US-Russia ties and discussed a potential new prisoner swap between the two countries during a two-hour phone call.
• Putin said talks with Kyiv last week in Istanbul had put the world "on the right path" to resolving the conflict but said more compromises were still needed.
• Zelensky urged Trump to toughen sanctions if Russia does not agree ceasefire, Ukraine official told AFP.
• Putin said he had agreed with Trump that Moscow will propose a "memorandum" worked on with Ukraine outlining positions for a "possible" future peace deal.
• Putin, an ally of Tehran, discussed issues linked to Iran with Trump as tensions swirl between Washington and Tehran. "Iran and the Middle East was discussed," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.
• With Ukraine saying Russia launched a "record" drone attack at the weekend, the White House had earlier warned that Trump was "weary and frustrated" with the slow-moving peace efforts.
• White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said fresh sanctions were still an option if Russia fails to reach a deal.