President Donald Trump announced that he plans to call Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday morning to discuss potential solutions for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This comes just hours after the largest drone attack by Kremlin forces in Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
On Saturday, Trump shared on Truth Social that he would also be in talks with Ukrainian President Voldymir Zelensky and “various members” of NATO.
“Hopefully, it will be a productive day, a ceasefire will occur, and this extremely violent war, a war that would never have happened, will end. God will bless us all!!!” Trump expressed.
On Friday, Ukrainian and Russian representatives met in person for the first time in over three years, facilitated by Türkiye. They agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners soon. However, expectations were low since President Putin chose not to attend, sending a lower-level team instead and avoiding a commitment to a ceasefire proposal.
During discussions in Istanbul, Russian representatives reiterated a variety of demands, including control over five regions in Ukraine.
In a Fox News interview on Friday, Trump suggested that direct meetings with Putin might be essential for achieving a ceasefire. He criticized Zelensky, insisting that the Ukrainian leader “does not have the card” to manage Russia effectively.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned that preparations for a possible call between Trump and Putin were underway. The Kremlin has also indicated that a meeting between the two leaders could happen if an unspecified agreement is reached.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters in Rome, mentioned that the Vatican could be a potential venue for face-to-face discussions. He also noted a conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Rubio expressed support for the prisoner exchange agreement that emerged from the Istanbul talks, relaying Trump’s message about the U.S. commitment to a lasting resolution to the conflict.
Meanwhile, Zelensky renewed his call for stricter sanctions on Russia to push Putin towards a ceasefire. This followed attacks involving Russian drones targeting civilians in Ukraine’s Smie region, leading to nine fatalities and seven injuries, according to local officials.
Earlier on Sunday, Russian forces launched 273 Shahed drones and decoys towards Ukraine, as reported by the Ukrainian Air Force via Telegram. Air defenses reportedly intercepted 88 drones and 128 decoys. In the Kyiv region, one woman was killed and three others injured, according to Mykola Kalashnyk, head of the local military junta.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported the destruction of 14 Ukrainian drones in the Belgorod region during Sunday morning.
