Trump to Discuss Ukraine Ceasefire with Putin and Zelenskyy

US President Donald Trump plans to phone Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss ending the Ukraine war. “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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

This development comes after recent peace talks in Istanbul failed to yield a ceasefire agreement. Putin declined Zelenskyy’s invitation to attend the talks, sending a lower-level delegation instead. Zelenskyy criticized Putin for not taking peace efforts seriously. Despite this, both sides agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin could happen after the prisoner swap and once certain agreements are reached.

The talks are set against the backdrop of a deadly Russian drone attack in Ukraine’s Sumy region, which killed nine bus passengers, including a father, mother, and daughter. Zelenskyy condemned the attack as a “deliberate killing of civilians” and called for tougher sanctions on Moscow. “Without tougher sanctions, without stronger pressure, Russia will not seek real diplomacy,” he said. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha denounced the attack as a “deliberate and barbaric war crime”.

Key Quotes:

• “All the deceased were civilians… This was a deliberate killing of civilians.” – Volodymyr Zelenskyy
• “Without tougher sanctions, without stronger pressure, Russia will not seek real diplomacy. This must change.” – Volodymyr Zelenskyy
• “There should be no illusions. Pressure on Moscow must be increased to put an end to Russian terror.” – Andrii Sybiha
• “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.” – Donald Trump

Trump appeared confident his intervention in Ukraine-Russia War would bring an end to Moscow’s unending massacre in Ukraine. If successful, Trump could be viewed globally as a champion of peace potentially boosting his leadership prowess.