UN welcomes efforts to resolve Ukraine conflict following Trump-Putin phone call

UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations welcomes all efforts to resolve the Ukraine-Russia conflict and sees the phone call between the US and Russian leaders as a "positive thing", a UN spokesman said Wednesday.

"What we would appreciate is any efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine that would involve the Russian and Ukrainian sides. And so obviously, if both of them are willing to be involved in a process, that would be a welcome development," said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking of the phone conversation.

"Given the importance of the United States and the Russian Federation, the UN welcomes any efforts to resolve issues through regular contact," the spokesman said at a daily press briefing, calling the conversation between the two leaders "a positive thing".

The White House and the Kremlin announced separately on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation.

Trump said on social media he and Putin agreed that Washington and Moscow will immediately engage in direct negotiations aimed at ending the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

When asked whether the UN will be part of the negotiations, Haq said, "We would have to see what role we would have to play. Obviously, as we've said many times over the last three years, the United Nations is willing to play a good offices role if asked to by the parties."