United States President Donald Trump has claimed ‘millions of people’ have died in the Russia-Ukraine war, a conflict he insists would not have occurred under his watch.

However, he stressed that since it has happened, it must now come to an end.

Trump made this statement following what he described as a “lengthy and highly productive” phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, Energy, Artificial Intelligence, the power of the Dollar, and various other subjects,” he stated.

Reflecting on historical ties between the United States and Russia, Trump highlighted their shared sacrifices during World War II.

We both reflected on the Great History of our Nations, and the fact that we fought so successfully together in World War II, remembering that Russia lost tens of millions of people, and we, likewise, lost so many!” he said.

Trump said both leaders agreed on the urgent need to stop the ongoing bloodshed.

“But first, as we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine,” he stated.

He also claimed that Putin referenced his campaign slogan.

“President Putin even used my very strong Campaign motto of, ‘COMMON SENSE.’ We both believe very strongly in it,” Trump noted.

The former president added that they agreed to strengthen their ties and explore the possibility of visiting each other’s countries.

“We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations,” he revealed.

According to Trump, both sides have decided to begin negotiations immediately, starting with a call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“We will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now,” he said.

Trump also announced that he had tasked key officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, with leading the peace talks.

“I feel strongly, will be successful,” he stated.

The president expressed his gratitude to Putin for his role in securing the release of Marc Fogel, an American recently freed from Russian detention.

“I want to thank President Putin for his time and effort with respect to this call, and for the release, yesterday, of Marc Fogel, a wonderful man that I personally greeted last night at the White House,” he said.

Trump ended his statement by emphasising the need to prevent further loss of life.

“No more lives should be lost!” he declared, adding, “I believe this effort will lead to a successful conclusion, hopefully soon!”

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) confirmed a total of 40,838 civilian casualties during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as of December 31, 2024. Of these, 28,382 individuals were reported injured. However, OHCHR noted that the actual numbers could be higher.

US President Donald Trump has ordered the Treasury to stop producing penny coins, presenting it as an effort to cut down on government spending.

For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents.

This is so wasteful!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“I have instructed my Secretary of the US Treasury to stop producing new pennies. Let’s rip the waste out of our great nations budget, even if it’s a penny at a time,” he added.

The so-called Department of Government Efficiency — a cost-cutting initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk that has helped slash federal spending — highlighted the cost of producing pennies in a post on X in January.

Debates about the production cost of pennies are not new in the United States, with several bills having been introduced in Congress that have failed to pass.

Trump’s order would likely require lawmakers’ approval but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent may be able to simply stop the minting of new pennies, economics professor Robert Triest of Northeastern University wrote in January.

Prices would likely be rounded to the nearest five cents if pennies are removed, Triest said.

Canada announced in 2012 it was eliminating pennies from its coinage system, citing a production cost of 1.6 cents each and its falling purchasing power because of inflation.

Trump has made cutting the federal budget a prominent part of his new administration, with Musk’s DOGE team being tasked with investigating government spending.

It is promise fulfilled as Venezuela on Monday sent two planes to bring undocumented migrants back from the United States, days after it came to an agreement with the administration of US President Donald Trump.

Recall that immediately Trump made his order to flush out irregular migrants, Venezuela promised to provide planes for it’s citizens.

The planes were on their way home, a foreign ministry statement said, after President Nicolas Maduro — keen for an end to crippling US sanctions — agreed with a visiting Trump envoy to accept the return of deported migrants and offered to provide the transport.

The government had been notified by the United States, the statement added, that some of the deportees were suspected of having ties to the Tren de Aragua gang or other criminal groups.

It did not specify how many Venezuelans were being brought home.

The day after Maduro met US envoy Richard Grenell in Caracas on January 31, Trump announced the South American country “has agreed to receive, back into their Country, all Venezuela illegal aliens who were encamped in the US, including gang members of Tren de Aragua.”

“Venezuela has further agreed to supply the transportation back,” Trump wrote on his platform Truth Social.

Grenell had traveled to Caracas despite Washington having not recognized Maduro’s reelection in a vote last year he is widely accused of stealing.

The envoy returned home with six Americans who had been detained in Venezuela.

It was not clear what Caracas had gained from the talks, after which Maduro called for a “new beginning” in bilateral relations.

Trump has pledged to carry out the largest deportation campaign in US history, vowing to expel millions of undocumented immigrants, many from Latin American nations.