President Donald Trump has announced a scheduled call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday to discuss a potential ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“I will be on the phone and will be talking to Russian President Vladimir Putin at 10am on Monday to stop the ‘Bloodbath,’ which is resulting in over 5,000 casualties among Russian and Ukrainian soldiers, and to halt trade,” Trump stated.
Additionally, Trump mentioned that he plans to also connect with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO members to encourage the ceasefire efforts.
“I’ll then speak with President Zelensky, along with various NATO officials. Hopefully, we can achieve a ceasefire,” he said.
This announcement follows Putin’s recent decision to send his aide, Vladimir Medinsky, instead of attending peace talks in Turkey himself.
Zelensky expressed his concerns, saying he felt uneasy about the negotiations, particularly regarding the nature of the Russian delegation.
“After assessing the level of the Russian delegation, I found it quite uncomfortable, unfortunately, concerning actual negotiations,” Zelensky remarked.
“Russia again demonstrated its lack of intention to end the war by sending a low-level delegation, which reflects a disrespect toward the world and our partners,” he added.
Negotiations included Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, marking the first talks between the countries since 2022.
On Saturday, Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, welcoming a recent prisoner exchange agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.
In his communication with Lavrov, Rubio emphasized the commitment of the United States to achieving a lasting resolution to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Both leaders are aiming for a peace agreement to bring an end to the three-year war in Europe.
