Trump call with Putin underway as he hopes for ceasefire progress in Russia-Ukraine war
The Hindu
Trump aims to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine, but may walk away if Putin isn't serious about negotiation.
U.S. President Donald Trump has grown “frustrated” with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the White House said Monday (May 19, 2025) ahead of separate calls Mr. Trump is holding in hopes of making progress toward a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine.
Mr. Trump expressed his hopes for a “productive day” Monday (May 19, 2025), and a ceasefire, in a social media post over the weekend. His effort will also include calls to NATO leaders. But ahead of the call, Vice President J.D. Vance said Mr. Trump is “more than open” to walking away from trying to end the war if he feels Mr. Putin isn’t serious about negotiation.
The call was underway shortly after 10 a.m., Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, promising additional details after it concludes. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the conversation “important, given the talks that took place in Istanbul” last week between Russian and Ukrainian officials, the first such negotiations since March 2022.
Mr. Trump has struggled to end a war that began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022, and that makes these conversations a serious test of his reputation as a deal maker after having claimed he would quickly settle the conflict once he was back in the White House, if not even before he took office.
“He’s grown weary and frustrated with both sides of the conflict,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday (May 19, 2025) ahead of the call. “He has made it clear to both sides that he wants to see a peaceful resolution and ceasefire as soon as possible.”
The Republican President is banking on the idea that his force of personality and personal history with Mr. Putin will be enough to break any impasse over a pause in the fighting.
“I’d say we’re more than open to walking away,” Mr. Vance told reporters before leaving Rome after meeting with Pope Leo XIV. Mr. Vance said Mr. Trump has been clear that the U.S. “is not going to spin its wheels here. We want to see outcomes.”
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