Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he will be having phone calls next Monday with the leaders of Ukraine and Russia, speaking to them separately to attempt to obtain a ceasefire. The announcement came via his profile on Truth Social, a social media platform that the president owns. In the post published on Saturday morning, Trump stated that he would speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin at 10 a.m Eastern US time (5 p.m. in Moscow) to discuss “STOPPING THE “BLOODBATH” THAT IS KILLING, ON AVERAGE, MORE THAN 5000 RUSSIAN AND UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS A WEEK, AND TRADE.” (Capitals in original text.) Trump states that he will then speak with Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy – first on their own, and then in a group conversation with NATO leaders. “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,” the post concludes. “GOD BLESS US ALL!!!”
The announcement comes two days after Putin refused to attend peace talks with Zelenskyy in Ankara, Turkey, sending a low-level delegation instead, which the Ukrainian president derided as “decorative.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov bashed Zelenskyy, calling him a “pathetic man” for thinking he cold summon Putin to Turkey.
Progress and setbacks appear to be occurring at the same time, and in the same place. Russia showed little interest in concessions during the Ankara negotiations on Friday, demanding a full pullback of Ukrainian troops in areas of the country now controlled by Russia before they would consider a ceasefire. Nonetheless, the discussions that took place on Friday were the first direct peace talks between the two countries since the start of Russia’s invasion more than three years ago.
Donald Trump undercut the viability of the talks before the two sides even met in Turkey, telling reporters on Air Force One Thursday that “nothing’s gonna happen” until he and Putin talk. Trump did not raise hopes over speaking directly with Putin either: “I think we’ll solve it or maybe not […] At least we’ll know. And if we don’t solve it, it’ll be very interesting.” The president had said multiple times before getting elected that he could end the war within “24 hours” of his second term. More than 100 days into his term, there is still no sign of fulfilling that boast.
