U.S. President Donald Trump is set to hold separate discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday in a renewed effort to halt the ongoing violence in Ukraine. This initiative comes amid concerns regarding the U.S.’s continuous attempts at facilitating peace negotiations.
“HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE A PRODUCTIVE DAY, A CEASEFIRE WILL TAKE PLACE, AND THIS VERY VIOLENT WAR, A WAR THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED, WILL END,” Trump declared in a post on his Truth social media platform on Saturday, a hallmark of his typical communication style.
The primary focus of these discussions will center around trade and the urgent need to mitigate the “bloodbath” resulting from the conflict between Russian and Ukrainian forces, according to Trump.
The call with Putin is scheduled for 5 p.m. Moscow time (10:00 a.m. E.T.) and will reflect on the recent negotiations held in Istanbul, as noted by Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Monday. These remarks were reported by Russian state news agency Tass and translated through Google.
This upcoming dialogue follows the first in-person discussions between Russian and Ukrainian representatives since 2022, which took place in Istanbul last week. The talks, initially aimed at facilitating a meeting between the heads of state, have since been downgraded, with the delegations concluding a prisoner exchange agreement, though they failed to make significant strides toward peace.
Efforts to resolve the three-year conflict in Ukraine have stalled in recent months, despite the urgency expressed by the U.S. to fulfill Trump’s commitment to achieving peace. Concerns have been raised regarding Trump’s threats to withdraw from the diplomatic efforts if no immediate resolution is reached, potentially impacting U.S. military and humanitarian support for Ukraine.
Trump has adjusted his previously cautious stance towards Putin, expressing a willingness to impose further sanctions on Russia and supporting an internationally endorsed call for a 30-day ceasefire in the region.
As negotiations progress, both a temporary truce and a permanent peace plan remain challenging to define due to Russia’s uncompromising demands and Zelenskyy’s firm stance against conceding territory.
“The U.S. has presented a strong peace plan and we welcome the Prisoner of War exchange agreement reached in Istanbul. Let’s not miss this huge opportunity. The time for ending this war is now,” stated U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a social media post on Saturday, following his conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Rubio further explained during a CBS interview that Lavrov indicated plans to prepare a document outlining Russia’s conditions for a ceasefire, paving the way for broader negotiations. He noted that the Ukrainian side is also devising its proposal, which he hopes will be announced soon.
Nevertheless, indications of declining patience from Washington regarding the stalled negotiations are evident.
“We don’t want to be involved in this process of just endless talks. There has to be some progress, some movement forward,” Rubio emphasized.
On Sunday, Zelenskyy met with Rubio and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, expressing his frustration on social media about the “low level delegation of non-decision-makers” sent by Russia to the Istanbul talks. He reiterated Ukraine’s readiness for genuine diplomacy and underscored the importance of achieving a full and unconditional ceasefire promptly.
As European officials have been largely sidelined in the recent discussions, they have swiftly sought to engage the White House. Leaders from the U.K., U.S., Italy, France, and Germany held a conversation on Sunday regarding Trump’s forthcoming dialogue with Putin.
“Looking ahead to President Trump’s call with President Putin tomorrow, the leaders discussed the need for an unconditional ceasefire and for President Putin to take peace talks seriously,” noted a statement from the U.K. government. “They also addressed the imposition of sanctions should Russia fail to seriously engage in ceasefire negotiations and discussions pertaining to peace.”
