US President Donald Trump announced he will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday to discuss the war in Ukraine. Trump said the call will focus on stopping the ongoing bloodshed. After speaking with Putin, Trump plans to talk to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders from NATO. He hopes these conversations will lead to a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Ending the war has been a major promise in Trump’s presidential campaign. He has said that direct talks with Putin are necessary to break the current deadlock.
The US government continues to increase diplomatic efforts. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday to encourage peace negotiations. The State Department confirmed the conversation. Trump’s announcement came just hours after peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey ended without success. Russia demanded that Ukraine withdraw from four regions it invaded, but Ukraine rejected this because Russia does not fully control those areas. The talks ended with no ceasefire agreement, but both sides agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each.
Despite the failed talks, the prisoner exchange was the largest since the war began. The US and its allies have pushed for a 30-day ceasefire backed by Washington, but Russia refused. Putin suggested negotiations in Istanbul without preconditions and rejected Zelenskyy’s offer to meet face to face during the summit. Soon after the talks ended, Russia carried out a drone strike on a passenger bus in Ukraine’s Sumy region. The attack killed at least nine people and injured seven others. Most victims were elderly women. The violence continues even as international pressure mounts on Russia to find peace.