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President Donald Trump announced he will speak with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and then with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he seeks to broker a deal to end the war in Ukraine.
Negotiations on the war that Trump promised to end on "day one" of his term have dragged on for the past four months, with the administration's patience dwindling as Russia's ground operation in Ukraine continues despite global calls for a ceasefire.
Trump said he would speak with both parties and other key leaders from NATO on Monday morning to stop the "bloodshed."
"Hopefully it will be a productive day, a ceasefire will occur and this very violent war, a war that should never have happened, will end," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday.
Trump added that he would also discuss trade with Putin in the call. Some Republicans, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-C), have urged the president to impose new punitive economic sanctions on Russia because it refuses to sit at the negotiating table.
Trump has threatened Russia before, saying he could impose additional sanctions if he believes Putin is deceiving him and will not reach a deal.
"I'll use it if I have to, I'd rather not use it," Trump told Bret Baier on Fox News on Friday.
Trump pledged earlier this week that he would "remain committed" to negotiating peace between Ukraine and Russia, backing an unconditional 30-day ceasefire that European leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron and Zelensky were pressuring Russia to accept.
Zelensky, along with top NATO leaders and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, traveled to Turkey on Friday for peace talks that Putin is said to be attending before sending a representative from the Kremlin. Hours later, a Russian drone strike in northern Ukraine killed nearly a dozen people.
Rubio predicted there would be "no major progress" in the peace talks, which were the first direct talks between officials from the warring countries since 2022.
"The only way we can make progress here is between President Trump and President Putin," Rubio told reporters in Turkey.
In his bid to broker a ceasefire, Trump has sharply criticized Zelensky and Ukraine for not doing more to end the war that Russia started. He and Vice President JD Vance sharply criticized Zelensky during his visit to the Oval Office in February, calling him a "dictator without an election."
Trump has also stoked fears in Europe about his friendship with Putin, leading to concerns that a deal between the two countries could involve the Russian annexation of key territories in Ukraine.
Trump remained optimistic this week about the chances of a deal, saying on Fox News that Putin is at the table prepared to talk.
“I’m tired of other people going and meeting,” Trump said Friday. “I think I’m the only one who’s going to be able to do it. And I think we’re going to do it quickly.”
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