U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he will hold a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, May 19, followed by a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He made the announcement on May 17 via his social media platform, TruthSocial.
According to Trump, the call with Putin is scheduled for 10:00 AM Washington time. The discussion will focus on ending hostilities—which, as Trump claims, are causing over 5,000 Russian and Ukrainian military casualties per week—as well as trade-related issues.
Following the call with Putin, Trump intends to speak with Zelensky, and later with Zelensky and representatives of NATO member states.
I hope it will be a productive day, leading to a ceasefire and an end to this brutal war—a war that should never have happened, Trump wrote.
Earlier, on May 16, the first direct talks in three years between Russian and Ukrainian delegations took place in Istanbul. According to sources, Russia presented unacceptable demands. Shortly after, Zelensky and European leaders discussed the outcomes of the meeting with Trump.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Russia is not responding to U.S. demands and confirmed that Trump is considering direct contact with the Kremlin to help advance a peaceful resolution.
Following these discussions, Trump expressed his belief that Putin is “tired of the war” and stated that a peace agreement is possible only with his direct involvement.
