The News
US President Donald Trump said he would speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, days after Moscow and Kyiv agreed a prisoner swap at their first direct talks since 2022.
Trump, who said he would also call Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said he wants to stop the “bloodshed,” but despite the flurry of diplomatic activity there is little indication the two sides are anywhere close to an agreement: On Sunday, Kyiv said Russia launched its largest drone attack on Ukraine since the start of the war.
And at last week’s rather brief meeting in Turkey, the Kremlin made demands described as “unacceptable” by officials in Kyiv.
“Diplomacy has travelled a long distance this week to essentially return to zero,” a CNN analyst wrote.