U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday in a bid to end the ongoing war in Ukraine. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the call would take place at 10:00 EDT (14:00 GMT), followed by conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several NATO leaders. The primary aim, according to Trump, is to “stop the bloodbath” and bring an end to a war he called “a war that should have never happened.”
The announcement comes on the heels of the first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in three years, held in Istanbul on Friday. Although the negotiations failed to yield a breakthrough, both sides agreed to a prisoner swap. Trump had offered to attend the talks if Putin joined, but the Russian president declined.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed preparations are underway for the call, telling Russian news agency Tass that “the conversation is in the works.” It will not be the first time the two leaders have discussed the conflict, but Trump hopes the timing and context will help secure a ceasefire.
Despite recent diplomatic gestures, the situation on the ground remains dire. Just hours after the Istanbul talks, a Russian drone struck a passenger bus in Ukraine’s Sumy region, killing nine civilians. Ukrainian President Zelensky condemned the attack as a “deliberate killing of civilians” and called for stronger sanctions against Moscow. Russian state media, meanwhile, claimed the strike targeted a “military staging area.”
European leaders have been calling for a 30-day ceasefire, a proposal Ukraine supports. However, Ukrainian officials claim the Kremlin’s demands including Kyiv withdrawing from large areas of its own territory are unacceptable.
Trump remains optimistic. “Hopefully it will be a productive day, a ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war will end,” he stated. While Moscow has moved cautiously, it has reportedly welcomed American mediation efforts, as discussed in a Saturday call between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The world now watches to see if Trump’s call can bring new momentum to peace efforts.
