**US and Russia Talk About Ukraine War**
After three years, President Vladimir Putin has spoken to the US president on the phone. This is a big deal because just a few years ago, Putin was not liked by many countries around the world.
In 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, which made the United Nations and thousands of other countries angry. The International Criminal Court even issued an arrest warrant for Putin. President Joe Biden called Putin a “murderous dictator” back then.
But now things are different. A new US president, Donald Trump, wants to work with Putin to end the war in Ukraine. If that happens, it will be a big change in how the US and Russia relate to each other.
**A Change in Leadership**
President Trump has said he wants to visit Russia and work closely with Putin. Putin even invited him to Moscow. This would be a first for an American president in over 10 years.
Putin is getting what he wanted by talking directly to the US about Ukraine. He might also get to decide how things go, without listening to other countries like Ukraine or Europe.
**What Does Putin Want?**
Russia says it’s ready to talk, but it wants to do things on its own terms. That means giving Russia all the land it has taken from Ukraine and some more. It also means Ukraine can’t join a group of western countries that work together for security (Nato). And Russia doesn’t want to be punished by other countries.
In short, Russia is saying: “We’ll talk, but you have to do things our way.” This is like an ultimatum, which means Russia is making demands rather than being willing to listen and compromise.