Trump begins ceasefire diplomacy with Zelenskyy instead of Putin: Report

US president earlier announced plans to speak with both leaders the same day, with Putin call was expected to be prior

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) – US President Donald Trump began his push for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine on Monday with a phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, rather than Russian President Vladimir Putin, CNN reported, citing the Ukrainian presidency.

Trump had earlier announced plans to speak with both leaders the same day, saying he would call Putin at 10 a.m. (1400GMT) and then Zelenskyy alongside NATO officials. His reported call with Zelenskyy signals a change in the announced plans.

The US president described the initiative as a bid to stop the “bloodbath” killing more than 5,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers weekly.

“HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE A PRODUCTIVE DAY, ,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday. “A CEASEFIRE WILL TAKE PLACE, AND THIS VERY VIOLENT WAR, A WAR THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED, WILL END.”

The development comes after Russian and Ukrainian officials met for direct talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Friday—their first in over three years. The discussions were part of a broader international push to end the war.

Kaynak:

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