U.S. President Donald Trump gestures, while he boards Air Force One, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, May 16, 2025.
Brian Snyder | Reuters
President Donald Trump said Saturday he plans to speak separately to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday in an effort to reach a ceasefire.
“I WILL BE SPEAKING, BY TELEPHONE, TO PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN OF RUSSIA ON MONDAY, AT 10:00 A.M. THE SUBJECTS OF THE CALL WILL BE, STOPPING THE “BLOODBATH” THAT IS KILLING, ON AVERAGE, MORE THAN 5000 RUSSIAN AND UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS A WEEK, AND TRADE,” Trump said in a Saturday post on Truth Social.
“I WILL THEN BE SPEAKING TO PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY OF UKRAINE AND THEN, WITH PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY, VARIOUS MEMBERS OF NATO,” he continued. “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. GOD BLESS US ALL!!!”
Trump told reporters on Friday that he was setting up talks with Putin after the Russian president skipped peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey. “I think it’s time for us to just do it,” Trump said.
“He and I will meet, and I think we’ll solve it or maybe not,” Trump said in comments to reporters after boarding Air Force One, as he departed for the U.S. following his four-day trip to the Middle East. “At least we’ll know. And if we don’t solve it, it’ll be very interesting.”
Trump has grown frustrated with his administration’s efforts to facilitate a deal between Russia and Ukraine and has told advisers in private discussions that mediating a peace deal has been more difficult than he expected, CNN previously reported, citing sources. During his campaign, the U.S. president repeatedly said he would be able to end the war between Russia and Ukraine “in 24 hours” upon taking office.
Trump has lately taken to blaming both sides, where he previously assigned blame solely on Ukraine’s Zelenskyy for making “inflammatory statements” that “makes it so difficult to settle this war.” He also accused the Ukrainian leader of adding to war complications by “boasting” that Kyiv would not legally recognize ceding Crimea to Russia. Trump recently chastised Putin for Russia’s strikes on Ukraine in late April that were “not necessary, and very bad timing.”