DONALD Trump says the Vatican could host Ukraine peace talks after a two-hour phone call with Vladimir Putin.
Trump called Kyiv and the Kremlin yesterday to pressure them into a ceasefire.
The US President and Russia’s leader spoke for more than two hours in a chat Putin described as “frank and very useful”.
Afterwards Mad Vlad told state media: “A ceasefire in Ukraine for a certain period of time is possible if appropriate agreements are reached.”
Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Trump by phone beforehand for “a few minutes”.
Trump later insisted the Vatican could host negotiations.
He posted on his Truth Social platform after his Putin call: “I believe it went very well.
“Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire.
“The Vatican, as represented by the Pope, has stated it would be very interested in hosting negotiations.”
Trump’s diplomacy came as peace talks faltered last week after Putin refused to meet with Zelensky in Turkey.
Negotiations in Istanbul resulted in an agreement for a prisoner exchange. However, the discussions came to a halt when Russia insisted on Ukraine ceding additional land compared to what it had previously lost.
Mr Zelensky said yesterday: “Ukraine is not afraid of direct talks.”
Mr Trump’s deputy JD Vance earlier said the message to Russia was: “Are you serious, are you real about peace?”
He claimed Putin lacked a strategy for ending the slaughter and repeated US threats to walk away if Russia refuses to budge.
Vance said: “We are eventually going to have to say this is not our war.”
The US, Ukraine and its allies have backed calls for a 30-day ceasefire.
