Trump’s Planned Call with Putin Amid Ongoing Conflict
President Donald Trump is gearing up to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin following a weekend prisoner exchange, with the aim of ending what he refers to as the “bloodbath” war in Ukraine. The call is expected to take place at 10 a.m. ET, during which Trump plans to converse with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as well.
“The main focus will be on stopping the ‘blood bath,’ which has led to, on average, over 5,000 soldiers from both sides losing their lives,” Trump mentioned in a post on True Society. “I’m hoping it’s a productive day; we could really use a ceasefire. This war, which should never have happened, is truly violent,” he added. “God bless us all!”
However, shortly after Trump’s announcement, it was reported that Russia launched its largest drone assault on Ukraine, deploying 273 explosive drones. Ukrainian defenses intercepted 88 of these. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have shot down 35 Ukrainian drones during the night.
On Sunday, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Zelenskyy in Rome to discuss ongoing peace efforts. This was notable as it marked the first in-person talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Turkey since the early days of the war. There was some expectation that Zelenskyy and Putin would meet directly; however, Zelenskyy agreed to participate only if Putin did, and ultimately appointed his defense minister to lead the Ukrainian delegation due to the Kremlin sending lower-level officials.
While no concrete peace agreement was reached, there was an agreement to release around 1,000 prisoners of war in the coming days. Zelenskyy expressed disappointment, noting that the Russian delegation that came to Istanbul lacked significant decision-makers.
Putin claimed on Sunday that the peace deal would “ensure Russia’s security” and address the root causes of the conflict. Meanwhile, Trump suggested that genuine peace negotiations cannot happen without his involvement.
In the broader context, Ukraine is currently seeking an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, but Putin indicated that it might take time for Ukraine to mobilize and prepare.
