On May 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone call with US President Donald Trump. Following the conversation, the Russian leader told reporters: "The President of the United States shared his position on the cessation of hostilities and the prospects for a ceasefire. For my part, I noted that Russia also supports a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis as well. What we need now is to identify the most effective ways towards achieving peace."

He added: "We agreed with the President of the United States that Russia would propose and is ready to engage with the Ukrainian side on drafting a memorandum regarding a potential future peace agreement. This would outlining a range of provisions, such as the principles for settlement, the timeframe for a possible peace deal, and other matters, including a potential temporary ceasefire, should the necessary agreements be reached."

Bogdan Bezpalko with the Russian Presidential Council on Interethnic Relations noted the following in this regard: "Based on the information available, it is unclear whether Trump agrees that Russia goes on with its military pressure on Ukraine. Russian representatives have stated that Trump’s position is neutral, while the EU’s is strongly pro-Ukrainian and anti-Russian. However, the fact remains that Vladimir Putin himself announced the start of negotiations on a ceasefire and even a complete cessation of hostilities. When these talks are going to begin and whether they will succeed or fail still remains to be clarified. But an already obvious thing is that military actions will continue in the near future, simply because negotiations could take a long time."

In turn, MGIMO University’s associate professor of political theory Kirill Koktysh commented in this vein: "The parties have found common ground in areas that allow the United States distancing itself from the Ukrainian issue if Ukraine adopts an unconstructive position. At the same time, Trump is confident in Russia’s constructive approach. In other words, the matters he is currently discussing are not up for debate, and Russia will proceed with its military operations. However, this was not a separate topic during yesterday’s conversation. To end this, a memorandum is needed — one that outlines specific conditions, which must first be formulated and then fulfilled primarily by the Ukrainian side."

Regarding the EU’s role in negotiations, Bogdan Bezpalko emphasized: "Europe has been effectively pushed out of the process. On the other hand, the EU is taking an indirect part in it due to the numerous economic measures targeting Russia. Another round of sanctions against our country is being prepared, political demands are being publicly issued, and negative assessments of its leadership are being voiced. In essence, Europe is part of the confrontation and is also trying to influence the talks. Therefore, its impact cannot be completely dismissed."

Kirill Koktysh echoed the sentiment: "As of today, Europe is essentially excluded from the negotiation process. European proposals have gone unheeded."