President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he will speak directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, in a high-stakes effort to secure a ceasefire in the more than three-year-old Ukraine war. The calls follow renewed negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul, which ended without a ceasefire agreement but yielded a prisoner exchange deal involving 1,000 captives on each side.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, "THE SUBJECTS OF THE CALL WILL BE, STOPPING THE 'BLOODBATH' THAT IS KILLING, ON AVERAGE, MORE THAN 5000 RUSSIAN AND UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS A WEEK, AND TRADE." He added that he hopes the day will be "productive," and that a ceasefire will materialize from the discussions.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that preparations were underway for a call between Trump and Putin. He declined to discuss the substance of the Istanbul talks, stating only that discussions "should be conducted absolutely behind closed doors." Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Moscow welcomed the "positive role" played by the United States in encouraging the resumption of talks.
Secretary Rubio conveyed Trump's call for an "immediate ceasefire and an end to the violence," according to State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce. Rubio also emphasized the U.S.-backed comprehensive peace plan, which outlines terms Washington believes offer the best path to ending the conflict.
A senior Ukrainian official familiar with the Istanbul talks said Russian negotiators made new demands, including that Ukraine withdraw its forces from four regions-Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia-before a ceasefire could be implemented. The official stated that these terms exceed the parameters of the U.S.-drafted peace proposal discussed with Moscow last month.
Zelensky responded on Saturday by urging Western allies to intensify sanctions on Moscow after a Russian drone strike killed nine civilians on a passenger bus in Sumy. "This was a deliberate killing of civilians," Zelensky said. "Without tougher sanctions, without stronger pressure, Russia will not seek real diplomacy."
Moscow has denied targeting civilians, stating that its forces struck a military position in Sumy and captured a new settlement in eastern Ukraine.
The Istanbul meeting was the first face-to-face contact between Russian and Ukrainian delegations since March 2022. It lasted 100 minutes and ended without concrete progress on a ceasefire. Trump had offered to attend the meeting if Putin would as well, but the Russian president sent negotiators in his place.
At a summit of the Arab League in Baghdad on Saturday, Egypt's President Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi condemned Israel's actions in Gaza, calling them an attempt to "obliterate" the Palestinians-a sign of regional instability exacerbated by ongoing global conflict. Meanwhile, European leaders have expressed skepticism about Moscow's willingness to reach an agreement.
"Once again Russia is not serious," British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. French President Emmanuel Macron added, "Faced with President Putin's cynicism, I am sure that President Trump, mindful of the credibility of the United States, will react."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the EU is drafting another round of sanctions aimed at "suffocating" the Russian economy. Yet with sanctions already in place for over three years, questions remain about their continued effectiveness.
