President Trump stated on Saturday that he would communicate with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Monday, days after the primary direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in years resulted in a prisoner swap settlement however not a short lived cease-fire.
Mr. Trump stated on Saturday that he would additionally name President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who has agreed to an unconditional and speedy cease-fire, in addition to leaders of the NATO alliance.
“Hopefully it is going to be a productive day, a cease-fire will happen, and this very violent battle — a battle that ought to have by no means occurred — will finish,” Mr. Trump wrote on social media.
The Kremlin confirmed on Saturday night that the Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin would communicate, in what is about to be their second publicly acknowledged name in Mr. Trump’s second time period to debate Ukraine. Their first name, in February, was celebrated by many in Moscow, particularly after it emerged that Mr. Trump had known as Mr. Putin earlier than Mr. Zelensky.
It’s not the primary time Mr. Trump, who stated on the marketing campaign path that he would get the battle “settled earlier than I even change into president,” has expressed optimism that he might deliver it to a swift finish. The telephone calls are set to happen because the Kremlin has intensified assaults throughout the entrance and stepped up bombardments of Ukrainian cities.
On Saturday morning, a Russian drone assault killed no less than 9 individuals after hitting a shuttle bus carrying civilians within the Sumy area in northeastern Ukraine, in keeping with native residents and Ukrainian authorities. Assaults in different elements of the nation killed no less than 5 extra civilians, in keeping with the Ukrainian authorities.
Whereas Ukrainian and Russian officers sat down on Friday in Istanbul head to head for the primary time for the reason that begin of the battle — agreeing on a deal to swap 1,000 prisoners every — there’s little proof that the frenetic swirl of diplomatic exercise has introduced the 2 sides nearer to negotiating a cease-fire.
Mr. Zelensky condemned the strike on the bus on Saturday as a “deliberate assault on civilians.”
“The Russians couldn’t have failed to grasp what sort of car they had been focusing on,” he stated in an announcement. The Russian army didn’t have any speedy touch upon the assault.
In his assertion, Mr. Zelensky stated he believed the one approach the Kremlin would make peace was if Mr. Putin had been pressured to take action.
“We predict robust sanctions in opposition to Russia from the US, from Europe and from all our companions,” Mr. Zelensky stated.
The European Union is about to push by a brand new raft of sanctions on Tuesday, however Mr. Trump has not stated if the US would do the identical.
On Friday evening, he informed Fox Information that he believed he might personally dealer an finish to the combating by sitting down with Mr. Putin, including that be believed that “Putin is uninterested in this entire factor.”
After the U.S. president spoke to Mr. Putin in February, he expressed related confidence in Mr. Putin’s want for peace.
At the moment, the Kremlin stated Mr. Putin had informed Mr. Trump of “the necessity to remove the foundation causes of the battle,” and the Russian chief has not wavered in his maximalist goals of territorial conquest and stopping Ukraine from becoming a member of NATO.
With world leaders and dignitaries gathering on Sunday for the inaugural Mass of the newly elected Pope Leo XIV, high-stakes diplomatic talks had been taking place on the sidelines in Rome.
Mr. Zelensky is scheduled to attend the ceremony, the Vatican stated in an announcement. So will Vice President JD Vance, who clashed with the Ukrainian chief in a disastrous assembly within the Oval Workplace on the finish of February.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the Vatican might be a venue for Russia-Ukraine peace talks after Pope Leo vowed to personally make “each effort” to assist finish the battle.
Mr. Rubio additionally spoke on Saturday with the Russian overseas minister, Sergey V. Lavrov. The Russian overseas ministry stated the decision was initiated by the American facet. The State Division stated that Mr. Rubio had emphasised Mr. Trump’s name for “a right away cease-fire.”
Kyiv has lengthy anxious that Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin would come to a mutual understanding after which attempt to impose their phrases on Ukraine. As Washington has moved extra in alignment with Moscow’s place, Europe’s main army powers have reaffirmed their dedication to serving to Ukraine defend itself.
Army analysts and critics of the Trump administration’s coverage, together with Republicans, have stated that pressuring Ukraine whereas taking no motion in opposition to Russia was all the time doomed to failure.
“I don’t imagine there’s any prospect for the tip to the battle this yr,” Mick Ryan, a retired Australian normal and fellow on the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based analysis group, stated in an interview. “Russia has maintained, and doubled down, on its maximalist targets, reinforcing them in negotiations in Turkey this week.”
The deal with territorial beneficial properties and calls for, which is especially what the White Home has been targeted on, misses the purpose, he stated.
“Mr. Putin’s main purpose is snuffing out Ukraine’s democracy and tradition, denying it company in its personal affairs,” Mr. Ryan stated.
Serhii, 44, a volunteer in Sumy who on Saturday helped rescue individuals injured within the bus assault, stated he felt betrayed by the Trump administration’s diplomatic efforts. Asking that his household title not be used out of concern for his or her security, he stated, “Every little thing Trump is doing — or not doing — results in extra destruction, the collapse of peace.”
Viktor Vovk, 60, was driving the bus and had simply pulled away from a checkpoint when the drone struck.
“I didn’t even notice what had occurred at first,” he stated when reached by telephone as he recovered from his accidents. However then he turned his head and noticed our bodies torn aside and others trapped within the wreckage.
“God make it easier to by no means should see one thing like that,” he stated.
The 9 individuals who had been killed included a household — a father, mom and daughter, Ukrainian authorities stated. At the very least seven extra individuals had been injured.
The bus was struck by a Russian Lancet drone at 6:17 a.m. native time outdoors Bilopillia, a couple of miles from the Russian border, which had a prewar inhabitants of roughly 15,000 individuals.
Oleksandr Merezhko, the chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament’s overseas affairs committee, stated Saturday’s bloodshed was additional proof of a failed American coverage.
He identified that Mr. Trump had demanded a right away, unconditional cease-fire for 30 days, which Mr. Zelensky accepted although Kyiv had lengthy insisted that safety ensures precede any truce. He then known as on Mr. Zelensky to take up Mr. Putin’s provide to restart direct negotiations in Istanbul, however then undercut these talks, saying that solely he and Mr. Putin collectively might resolve the battle.
“Such inconsistency, illogical steps and lack of technique undermine U.S. credibility and encourage Putin to proceed to insist on his maximalist calls for,” Mr. Merezhko stated. “Putin has outmaneuvered Trump.”
Nataliia Novosolova and Anatoly Kurmanaev contributed reporting.
Could 17, 2025
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An earlier model of this text misspelled the surname of the chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament’s overseas affairs committee. It’s Merezhko, not Merezkho.
