Trump to Hold Call With Putin in Continued Push for Ukraine Ceasefire

President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin at 10 a.m. ET on Monday, as the White House intensifies efforts to end Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. This follows recent peace talks held in Istanbul, Turkey.

“The subjects of the call will be, stopping the ‘bloodbath’ that is killing, on average, more than 5,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, and trade,” Trump shared on Truth Social on Saturday.

“I will then be speaking to President Zelenskyy of Ukraine and then, with President Zelenskyy, various members of NATO,” he added.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed to reporters that the call would take place at 5 p.m. Moscow time — corresponding to 10 a.m. ET

This call marks the first known direct conversation between Trump and Putin since February and comes after peace efforts in Istanbul were stalled when Putin declined to participate, despite an invitation from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The Istanbul session represented the first official meeting between Ukrainian and Russian delegates since spring 2022, when a similar round of talks was held in the Turkish city but ultimately failed.

In response to Putin’s absence, Trump told the press, “Nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together, okay?”

“And obviously he wasn’t going to go,” Trump said. “He was going to go, but he thought I was going to go. He wasn’t going if I wasn’t there. And I don’t believe anything’s going to happen, whether you like it or not, until he and I get together, but we’re going to have to get it solved, because too many people are dying.”

Despite Trump’s ongoing threats of tougher sanctions, Russia’s strategic objectives have remained consistent. Public statements from Moscow continue to demand that Ukraine relinquish four regions — not entirely under Russian control — along with Crimea, and that Kyiv commit to staying out of NATO permanently.

Putin said Sunday that any peace agreement should “eliminate the causes that triggered this crisis” and “guarantee Russia’s security.”

Ukraine and its allies in Europe are pushing for a 30-day ceasefire to create space for real negotiations. Russia has not agreed to this, instead insisting that all Western military assistance to Ukraine be halted as part of any truce.

Diplomatic contacts have continued since the Istanbul meeting. On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated that Rubio welcomed the prisoner exchange deal reached in Istanbul and echoed Trump’s call for an immediate halt to fighting.

Vice President JD Vance also met with President Zelenskyy at the Vatican on Saturday, following Pope Leo XIV’s offer to host further peace talks.

Following their meeting, Zelenskyy posted on X that he had “reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to be engaged in real diplomacy and underscored the importance of a full and unconditional ceasefire as soon as possible.”

“We have also touched upon the need for sanctions against Russia, bilateral trade, defense cooperation, battlefield situation and upcoming prisoners exchange,” Zelenskyy continued. “Pressure is needed against Russia until they are eager to stop the war.”

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X that the recent Istanbul meeting exposed a “stark difference” between Ukraine and Russia. “Ukraine is forward-looking, focused on the full and immediate ceasefire to kickstart the real peace process.”

“To the contrary, Russia is completely focused on the past, rejecting the ceasefire and instead talking constantly about the 2022 Istanbul meetings, attempting to make the same absurd demands as three years ago,” Sybiha stated.

“This is yet another reason why pressure on Russia must be increased,” he added. “Moscow must now understand the consequences of impeding the peace process.”

At the same time, hostilities persist. Overnight into Monday, Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 112 drones, of which 76 were either intercepted or neutralized. Damage was reported in five regions.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Monday morning that its forces had downed 35 Ukrainian drones overnight.