Trump Aims to Broker Ukraine Cease-Fire Through Key Phone Calls

President Donald Trump announced plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, followed by calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO allies, in an effort to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Trump emphasized stopping the "bloodbath" and discussed trade during his planned conversations. Recent peace talks in Istanbul between Moscow and Kyiv failed to secure a cease-fire but resulted in an agreement to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each, the largest swap since the war began.
Putin proposed negotiations without preconditions but rejected Zelenskyy's request for a face-to-face meeting. The talks, held behind closed doors, yielded no further details on cease-fire conditions. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also spoke, with Rubio urging Russia to end hostilities and supporting the POW exchange. Zelenskyy expressed frustration with the stalled talks, calling for a full, unconditional cease-fire and harsher sanctions on Russia if it refuses to pursue peace.
Trump remains optimistic, stating, "I think we'll make a deal," and believes a negotiated peace is within reach.

Published: 5/18/2025