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WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — President Donald Trump is looking to marque advancement toward a ceasefire successful the warfare successful Ukraine, holding abstracted telephone calls Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed Putin and Trump are scheduled to talk astatine 5 p.m. Moscow time, astir 10 a.m. Eastern. He called the speech “important," citing past week's talks successful Istanbul betwixt Russian and Ukrainian officials, the archetypal specified negotiations since March 2022.
“His sensibilities are that he’s got to get connected the telephone with President Putin, and that is going to wide up immoderate of the logjam and get america to the spot that we request to get to,” Steve Witkoff, Trump's envoy, said. “I deliberation it’s going to beryllium a precise palmy call.”
The high-stakes calls travel connected the heels of Russia launching its largest drone onslaught since the war's beginning. Trump besides plans to talk with NATO leaders.
Trump said implicit the play helium hoped for a "productive day" and renewed his propulsion for a ceasefire successful Ukraine, saying that talking straight to Putin was crucial.
Zelenskyy: Russia doesn't want to end war successful Ukraine
Zelenskyy met with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio connected the sidelines of Pope Leo XIV's archetypal papal mass astatine the Vatican connected Sunday.
Zelenskyy's bureau said helium thanked the United States for continued assistance but besides said helium believes Russia doesn't privation to extremity the war.
Last week’s bid talks successful Turkey marked the archetypal nonstop negotiations betwixt Russia and Ukraine successful 3 years. However, the discussions were conducted astatine a little diplomatic level than the U.S. had hoped, aft Putin opted not to beryllium down with Zelenskyy.
Still, some sides agreed to an speech involving 1,000 prisoners. Ukraine has accepted a connection for a 30-day ceasefire, but Russia has yet to agree.
Russia batters Kyiv with deadly strikes
The urgency surrounding the ceasefire efforts has intensified aft a deadly play of attacks.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched much than 270 drones, hitting areas successful Kyiv and eastbound regions, sidesplitting astatine slightest 1 idiosyncratic and injuring 3 others.
The strikes are the largest known bid of drone strikes since the warfare began 3 years ago.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
