President Donald Trump said he'll have a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday morning to discuss how to stop the war in Ukraine. Hours after the US president's announcement, Kremlin forces launched the largest drone barrage on Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Posting Saturday on Truth Social, Trump said he'll also speak on Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and "various members" of the NATO alliance.
"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. GOD BLESS US ALL!!!," Trump wrote.
Officials from Ukraine and Russia on Friday held their first direct talks in more than three years, mediated by Turkey. Yet while the two sides agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners in the coming days, expectations going into the meeting were low after Putin decided not to attend, sending only a low-level delegation and declining to commit to a ceasefire proposal.
Read: Zelensky Calls For Sanctions Against Moscow If Istanbul Peace Talks Fail
During the talks in Istanbul, the Russians repeated broad demands, including their country's control of five regions of Ukraine.
In an interview Friday on Fox News's Special Report with Bret Baier, Trump suggested that a face-to-face meeting with Putin might be the only way to achieve a ceasefire. He also lashed out at Zelensky, repeating his claim that the Ukrainian leader doesn't "have the cards" to hold off Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Saturday that a call between Trump and Putin is being prepared. Earlier, the Kremlin said a meeting between the two leaders could take place if the two sides come to certain, unspecified agreements.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Rome on Saturday that Vatican City would be one possible location for an in-person meeting. He also spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Rubio welcomed the prisoner exchange agreement reached during Friday's talks in Istanbul and delivered Trump's message that the US is committed to achieving a lasting end to the war.
Read: Russia, Ukraine Hold First Direct Peace Talks In Over 3 Years In Turkey
Russia is preparing its list of conditions for a possible ceasefire with Ukraine and will exchange it with Kyiv privately, Peskov said earlier Saturday, according to Russian state media.
Zelensky, meanwhile, again called for stronger sanctions against Moscow to force Putin toward a ceasefire. His comments came after a Russian drone hit a minibus carrying civilians near the front lines in Ukraine's Sumy region, killing nine people and injuring seven, according to local officials.
Early Sunday, Russia fired 273 Shahed drones and drone decoys at Ukraine, the Ukrainian Air Force said on Telegram. Air defenses downed 88 UAVs and jammed 128 decoys, it said. One woman was killed and three people wounded in the Kyiv region, Mykola Kalashnyk, head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, said on Telegram.
Russia's defense ministry reported downing 14 Ukrainian drones over the Belgorod region on Sunday morning.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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