US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced he would contact Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, along with NATO allies, in a renewed effort to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which he described as a “bloodbath”.
Posting on his social media platform, Truth Social, Mr Trump said he would initiate the calls on Monday in the hope of securing a ceasefire.
“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.
Mr Trump’s statement comes a day after the first direct talks in over three years between Moscow and Kyiv ended without a ceasefire agreement. The meeting, held in Istanbul, resulted in a deal to exchange 1,000 prisoners on each side, but no breakthrough on halting hostilities.
President Putin did not attend the talks, instead sending a lower-level delegation — a move that drew criticism from Mr Zelenskyy, who accused Moscow of not taking the peace efforts seriously.
Following the discussions, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov expressed hope that the next step would be a direct meeting between Mr Zelenskyy and Mr Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday that such a meeting could only take place “as a result of the work and upon achieving certain results in the form of an agreement between the two sides”.
Civilian deaths in Sumy draw condemnation
While diplomatic efforts remain uncertain, violence on the ground continues unabated. A Russian drone strike in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region killed nine civilians on Saturday, according to local authorities.
The attack targeted a bus in Bilopillia, killing all passengers aboard, including a family of three, President Zelenskyy said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He described the incident as “a cynical war crime”.
“All the deceased were civilians,” the Ukrainian leader stated. “And the Russians could not have failed to understand what kind of vehicle they were targeting. This was a deliberate killing of civilians.”
Seven others were wounded in the incident, suffering from burns, fractures, and blast injuries, and are currently receiving medical treatment.
Ukraine’s National Police condemned the drone strike as “barbaric”, while President Zelenskyy reiterated calls for stronger international sanctions against Moscow.
“Without tougher sanctions, without stronger pressure, Russia will not seek real diplomacy,” he said, warning that the Kremlin remained unwilling to engage meaningfully in peace talks.
Putin under pressure to respond
As the conflict grinds on into its third year, Mr Trump’s announcement signals his intention to play a direct role in negotiations, should he return to office. The former president has previously claimed he could end the war “within 24 hours”, though his approach has drawn scepticism from critics who question both the feasibility and fairness of his proposal.
Russian and Ukrainian officials have yet to formally respond to Mr Trump’s latest remarks. The Kremlin has maintained that any resolution must include recognition of territorial changes Moscow claims since 2014 — a position Kyiv continues to reject.
The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, has led to tens of thousands of casualties and the displacement of millions. Recent UN estimates put the civilian death toll at over 30,000, though the actual figure is believed to be higher.
While NATO and the EU have expressed continued support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, divisions remain among Western powers over the delivery of military aid and the pursuit of a long-term diplomatic solution.
