Trump says he will speak with Putin Zelenskiy on Monday

WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump said on May 17 he would speak by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the “bloodbath” in Ukraine, a day after the first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in more than three years.

Mr Trump, who has been pressing Russia to agree a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, said he would speak with him by phone on May 19.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told the state Tass news agency the call was “being prepared”. Earlier on May 17, the Kremlin had said that a meeting between Mr Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would be possible only after both sides reach an agreement.

That came a day after the first direct talks between the two countries in more than three years led to an agreement for another exchange of prisoners.

Early on May 17, a Russian drone attack on a minibus carrying evacuated civilians in Ukraine’s eastern Sumy region killed nine people and wounded five, local authorities said.

Mr Zelensky, denouncing the attack and Russia’s refusal so far to agree a ceasefire, repeated his call for reinforced sanctions against Moscow.

“Without stronger sanctions, without stronger pressure on Russia, there will be no real diplomacy there,” he insisted.

On May 16 in Istanbul, the first direct Ukraine-Russia talks since the spring of 2022 – shortly after Moscow’s full-scale invasion that February – led to an agreement to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war (POWs) each.

Ukraine’s top negotiator, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, said the “next step” would be a meeting between Mr Zelensky and Mr Putin.

Russia said it had taken note of the request.

“We consider it possible, but