Kathrine Frich
The White House did not immediately confirm the private phone conversation took place.
Behind-the-scenes diplomacy often hinges on money, market access, and commercial deals.
When political leaders try to break long-standing deadlocks, business incentives usually find their way to the negotiating table.
A recent high-level conversation shows just how far one side is willing to push economic rewards to secure peace.
Dangling the carrot
President Donald Trump held an hour-long phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to urge a swift conclusion to the war in Ukraine. Rather than focusing solely on territorial lines, the conversation leaned heavily into financial incentives and economic partnerships.
Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov shared details of the secret dialogue with reporters on Tuesday.
According to The Moscow Times, Ushakov noted that “Donald Trump clearly conveyed the idea that an early end to the conflict would be desirable.”
The American president dangled major commercial opportunities to encourage movement. Ushakov claimed Putin supports the vision to “immediately open impressive and large-scale prospects for the full restoration” of economic relations between the two nations.
Trump reportedly highlighted the “enormous benefits” of building trade ties. As Ushakov put it, “Donald Trump is interested in achieving a breakthrough during his presidency.”
Sticking points remain
The White House did not immediately confirm the private phone conversation took place. Still, the reported dialogue follows a week of intense diplomatic outreach by American representatives across Eastern Europe.
Special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff recently completed high-stakes visits to both Moscow and Kyiv. Both leaders viewed that diplomatic push positively, with Putin continuing to praise Trump’s mediation efforts.
Yet deep political disagreements persist on the ground. Putin continues to insist that Ukrainian forces must completely withdraw from unoccupied portions of eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Kyiv has repeatedly rejected that condition as unacceptable.
During the phone call, Putin provided an “objective and thorough analysis” of frontline conditions and his views on achieving his goals. Ushakov added that the discussion outlined “specific measures” the United States could take to speed up an agreement.
However, the Kremlin official refused to reveal what those steps were. “You understand yourselves that [the call] was confidential, so I will hardly be able to share many important details and nuances,” Ushakov said.
Sources: The Moscow Times
