Trump says he will call Putin, Zelenskyy to push for ceasefire

ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump said Saturday that he plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday to push for a ceasefire.

“I WILL BE SPEAKING, BY TELEPHONE, TO PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN OF RUSSIA ON MONDAY, AT 10:00 A.M," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

He said he will then call Zelenskyy alongside several NATO leaders, focusing on halting the “bloodbath” that is killing over 5,000 soldiers weekly.

Trump also said he will also discuss trade issues with the Russian president.

“HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE A PRODUCTIVE DAY, A CEASEFIRE WILL TAKE PLACE, AND THIS VERY VIOLENT WAR, A WAR THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED, WILL END," he wrote.

Russian and Ukrainian delegates held direct talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Friday for the first time in over three years. While Zelenskyy traveled to Türkiye, he did not attend the negotiations due to Putin’s absence.

Following a trilateral meeting between Russia, Ukraine, and Türkiye, both sides agreed to release 1,000 prisoners of war each. A separate US-Ukraine-Türkiye meeting was also held the same day.

Earlier in the week, Trump had hinted that he might visit Türkiye for the Istanbul talks, but he did not do so.

The US president said Friday he must meet with Putin to end the war. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called such a meeting "undoubtedly necessary" but stressed it would require thorough preparation.