A recent phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump lasted for 50 minutes.  The two leaders discussed the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.  This was the fifth conversation between the two since Trump took office.  It was a significant shift from the approach of the previous administration under Joe Biden.  Trump shared that Putin had called to wish him a happy 79th birthday.  However, the main topics were the conflicts in Israel and Iran, and the war in Ukraine.  Trump mentioned that Putin, like himself, wants the Israel-Iran conflict to end.  Trump also hinted that the war in Ukraine should stop.  He even suggested that there might be more discussions about Ukraine in the coming week.

        Meanwhile, Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, did not confirm if Ukraine would agree to new peace talks.  He simply stated that after the prisoner exchanges are done, the next steps will be discussed.  Zelenskyy urged the United States to change its approach when talking to Russia.  He believes the current tone is too friendly and won't help end the fighting.  He also expressed concern that the recent escalation between Israel and Iran might lead to a decrease in military aid to Ukraine.  This happened before, and he hopes it won't repeat.

        The recent attacks by Israel on Iran caused a sudden increase in global oil prices.  This is bad news for Ukraine.  Why?  Because it gives Russia more money to fund its war efforts.  Zelenskyy pointed out that Western allies have not been effective in controlling the price of Russian oil exports.  This makes it harder for Ukraine to keep up in the conflict.

        On a positive note, Ukraine and Russia completed another prisoner exchange.  This was the fourth exchange this week.  It's part of a bigger plan to return 1, 000 wounded prisoners from each side and the bodies of dead soldiers.  Pictures shared by Zelenskyy showed Ukrainian prisoners of various ages.  Some were injured, while others were seen hugging their loved ones or making phone calls.  On the Russian side, videos showed soldiers holding flags, clapping, and chanting patriotic slogans.  However, it was reported that Russia did not receive any of its war dead from Kyiv.  This echoes a previous statement where Russia returned the bodies of 1, 200 killed Ukrainian soldiers.  Zelenskyy expects the prisoner swaps to continue until June 20 or 21.

        The recent talks in Istanbul did not produce many results.  The only visible outcome was the prisoner agreement.  This exchange is a small step towards peace, but there is still a long way to go.  The situation in Ukraine remains complex and challenging.  The outcome of the upcoming discussions between the United States and Russia, and the actions of other global players, will significantly impact the future of the conflict.

The Big Talk: Putin and Trump Discuss War and Peace

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