WASHINGTON () President Donald Trump is looking to make progress toward a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine, holding separate phone calls Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed Putin and Trump are scheduled to speak at 5 p.m. Moscow time, about 10 a.m. Eastern. He called the conversation “important,” citing last week’s talks in Istanbul between Russian and Ukrainian officials, the first such negotiations since March 2022.
“His sensibilities are that he’s got to get on the phone with President Putin, and that is going to clear up some of the logjam and get us to the place that we need to get to,” Steve Witkoff, Trump’s envoy, said. “I think it’s going to be a very successful call.”
The high-stakes calls come on the heels of Russia launching its largest drone attack since the war’s beginning. Trump also plans to speak with NATO leaders.
Trump said over the weekend he hoped for a “productive day” and renewed his push for a ceasefire in Ukraine, saying that talking directly to Putin was crucial.
Zelenskyy: Russia doesn’t want to end war in Ukraine
Zelenskyy met with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of Pope Leo XIV’s first papal mass at the Vatican on Sunday.
Zelenskyy’s office said he thanked the United States for continued aid but also said he believes Russia doesn’t want to end the war.
Last week’s peace talks in Turkey marked the first direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in three years. However, the discussions were conducted at a lower diplomatic level than the U.S. had hoped, after Putin opted not to sit down with Zelenskyy.
Still, both sides agreed to an exchange involving 1,000 prisoners. Ukraine has accepted a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, but Russia has yet to agree.
Russia batters Kyiv with deadly strikes
The urgency surrounding the ceasefire efforts has intensified after a deadly weekend of attacks.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched more than 270 drones, hitting areas in Kyiv and eastern regions, killing at least one person and injuring three others.
The strikes are the largest known series of drone strikes since the war began three years ago.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
