Putin recently rejected an offer by Zelenskyy to meet in-person in Turkey as an alternative to a 30-day ceasefire urged by Ukraine and its Western allies, including Washington. Instead, Russian and Ukrainian officials met in Istanbul for talks, the first such direct negotiations since March 2022.

President Donald Trump spoke with President Vladimir Putin on Monday (May 19) and said Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire, but the Kremlin said reaching an agreement would take time and Trump indicated he was not ready to join Europe with fresh sanctions to pressure Moscow.

WASHINGTON–President Trump has begun a high-stakes call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a White House official said, the latest administration attempt to jump-start peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv.