U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold separate phone calls on Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a renewed diplomatic effort to broker a ceasefire in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
According to officials, Trump will first speak with Putin at 14:00 GMT, followed by conversations with Zelenskyy and leaders of NATO. The talks come as international calls intensify for an end to the conflict, which has raged since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Over the weekend, President Zelenskyy met with senior U.S. and European officials in Rome, reaffirming Ukraine’s commitment to pursuing “real diplomacy” in securing a ceasefire. His diplomatic outreach has drawn significant attention from global leaders hoping for a breakthrough.
Meanwhile, Trump also held a separate call with the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. A UK government spokesperson said the group emphasized the urgent need for an “unconditional ceasefire” and urged Putin to approach peace talks with seriousness.
These developments come in the wake of what Ukraine has called Russia’s largest drone assault since the war began, with 273 drones and decoys launched across multiple regions.
Russian state news agency RIA reported that Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the upcoming Trump-Putin call as “important,” noting it would reflect the outcomes of recent Russian-Ukrainian talks held in Istanbul. Peskov added that Moscow’s positions have already been clearly communicated.
As battlefield conditions worsen, the international community is watching closely, hopeful that the high-level engagements could pave the way toward a long-awaited ceasefire.
Edited by Nzubechukwu Eze
