LONDON — President Donald Trump is anticipated to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin at round 10 a.m. ET on Monday, because the White Home continues its push for an finish to Moscow’s 3-year-old invasion of Ukraine after final week’s peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey.
“The themes of the decision will likely be, stopping the ‘massacre’ that’s killing, on common, greater than 5,000 Russian and Ukrainian troopers every week, and commerce,” Trump wrote in a put up to his Fact Social web site on Saturday.
“I’ll then be chatting with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine after which, with President Zelenskyy, varied members of NATO,” Trump added.
Renewed direct contact with Putin — the final publicly identified direct telephone name between the 2 presidents passed off in February — comes after Trump’s hopes for peace talks progress in Istanbul had been scuppered, Putin having declined to attend regardless of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s invitation to take action.
The Istanbul talks had been the primary identified assembly between representatives of Moscow and Kyiv since spring 2022, when the Turkish metropolis hosted the ultimate spherical of unsuccessful peace negotiations to finish Russia’s unfolding invasion.
As soon as it grew to become clear Putin wouldn’t attend, Trump instructed reporters of the peace effort, “Nothing’s going to occur till Putin and I get collectively, okay?”
This mix picture exhibits President Donald Trump on Might 16, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Kremlin in Moscow, on Might 10, 2025.
AP
“And clearly he wasn’t going to go,” Trump added. “He was going to go, however he thought I used to be going to go. He wasn’t going if I wasn’t there. And I do not consider something’s going to occur, whether or not you prefer it or not, till he and I get collectively, however we’ll should get it solved, as a result of too many individuals are dying.”
Trump’s repeated threats of additional sanctions on Russia have up to now did not precipitate any notable shift in Moscow’s warfare objectives — which, based on public statements by officers, nonetheless embody Ukraine’s ceding of 4 areas — which Russian forces don’t totally management — plus Crimea, in addition to a everlasting block on Kyiv’s accession to NATO.
Putin mentioned Sunday that any peace take care of Ukraine ought to “eradicate the causes that triggered this disaster” and “assure Russia’s safety.”
Kyiv and its European backers are nonetheless pushing for a full 30-day ceasefire, throughout which period they are saying peace negotiations can happen. Moscow has up to now refused to help the proposal, suggesting that every one Western navy support to Ukraine must cease as a part of any ceasefire.
Contacts between U.S., Russian and Ukrainian officers continued after the tip of the talks in Istanbul. On Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian International Minister Sergey Lavrov.
State Division spokesperson Tammy Bruce mentioned Rubio welcomed a prisoner alternate settlement reached throughout the Istanbul assembly and emphasised Trump’s name for a right away ceasefire.
Vice President JD Vance additionally met with Zelenskyy on the Vatican on Saturday, following Pope Leo XIV’s supply to host a bilateral assembly.
After the assembly, Zelenskyy wrote on X that he had “reaffirmed that Ukraine is able to be engaged in actual diplomacy and underscored the significance of a full and unconditional ceasefire as quickly as attainable.”
“We have now additionally touched upon the necessity for sanctions in opposition to Russia, bilateral commerce, protection cooperation, battlefield state of affairs and upcoming prisoners alternate,” Zelenskyy continued. “Strain is required in opposition to Russia till they’re desperate to cease the warfare.”
Ukrainian International Minister Andrii Sybiha on Monday wrote on X that the Istanbul assembly highlighted a “stark distinction” between Moscow and Kyiv. “Ukraine is forward-looking, targeted on the total and quick ceasefire to kickstart the true peace course of. On the contrary, Russia is totally targeted on the previous, rejecting the ceasefire and as a substitute speaking continually in regards to the 2022 Istanbul conferences, trying to make the identical absurd calls for as three years in the past.”
“That is but another excuse why stress on Russia have to be elevated,” Sybiha added. “Moscow should now perceive the implications of impeding the peace course of.”
In the meantime, long-range strikes by either side continued. On Sunday night time into Monday morning, Ukraine’s air drive mentioned Russia launched 112 drones into the nation, 76 of which had been shot down or jammed. Harm was reported in 5 areas of Ukraine, the air drive mentioned in a put up to Telegram.
Russia’s Protection Ministry mentioned on Monday morning that its forces had downed 35 Ukrainian drones in a single day.
A Ukrainian soldier carries a mortar shell at a front-line place within the Donetsk area of Ukraine on Might 16, 2025.
Sofiia gatilova/Reuters
