Bangladesh, Feb. 13 -- In a significant diplomatic development, President Donald Trump spoke for 90 minutes with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 12, signaling a major shift in US foreign policy toward the war in Ukraine. The call, described by Trump as “lengthy and highly productive,” marks the first known conversation between the two leaders since Trump returned to the White House for a second term. Most notably, Trump has directed his national security team to “immediately” begin negotiations aimed at ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Trump, in a post on Truth Social, stated that his discussion with Putin covered a range of topics, including Ukraine, the Middle East, energy, artificial...