Donald Trump says he’ll speak to Vladimir Putin to cease ‘bloodshed’ in Ukraine

Trump, who has been urgent Russia to agree a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, mentioned he would communicate with him by telephone on Monday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov advised the state TASS information company the decision was “being ready”.

Earlier Saturday, the Kremlin had mentioned {that a} assembly between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky can be attainable solely after each side attain an settlement.

That got here a day after the primary direct talks between the 2 international locations in additional than three years led to an settlement for one more alternate of prisoners.

Early Saturday, a Russian drone assault on a minibus carrying evacuated civilians in Ukraine’s japanese Sumy area killed 9 folks and wounded 5, native authorities mentioned.

Zelensky, denouncing the assault and Russia’s refusal up to now to agree a ceasefire, repeated his name for strengthened sanctions towards Moscow.

“With out stronger sanctions, with out stronger strain on Russia, there will probably be no actual diplomacy there,” he insisted.

On Friday in Istanbul, the primary direct Ukraine-Russia talks because the spring of 2022 — shortly after Moscow’s full-scale invasion that February — led to an settlement to alternate 1,000 prisoners every.

Ukraine’s high negotiator, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, mentioned the “subsequent step” can be a gathering between Zelensky and Putin.

Russia mentioned it had taken word of the request.

“We take into account it attainable, however solely on account of the work and upon attaining sure leads to the type of an settlement between the 2 sides,” the Kremlin’s spokesman mentioned.

Trump denounces ‘massacre’

Russia’s high negotiator Vladimir Medinsky mentioned that Moscow and Kyiv would “current their imaginative and prescient of a attainable future ceasefire”, with out saying when.

The Kremlin mentioned that first the POW swap needed to be accomplished and each side have to current their visions for a ceasefire earlier than fixing the subsequent spherical of talks.

“For now, we have to do what the delegations agreed on yesterday” in Turkey, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned, which meant “initially to finish a 1,000 for 1,000 swap”.

The top of Ukraine’s navy intelligence, Kirillo Budanov, advised broadcaster TSN he hoped the alternate would occur subsequent week.

Posting on Reality Social Saturday, Trump mentioned he would communicate to Putin on Monday to debate discovering a manner out of the “BLOODBATH”.

Afterwards, he added, he would communicate to Zelensky and NATO officers, expressing hope {that a} “ceasefire will happen, and this very violent warfare… will finish”.

Each Moscow and Washington have already talked up the necessity for a gathering on the battle between Putin and Trump.

Trump has argued that “nothing’s going to occur” on the battle till he meets Putin face-to-face.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the newest prisoner alternate in a phone name with Russian Overseas Minister Sergei Lavrov, his spokeswoman Tammy Bruce mentioned.

However he underlined Trump’s name “for a direct ceasefire and an finish to the violence”, she added.

Combating goes on

The assault on the bus occurred close to town of Bilopillya, local people head Yuri Zarko advised Suspilne TV. A household of three had been among the many lifeless, the authorities mentioned.

After the assault, French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned he was certain Trump would react to Putin’s “cynicism”.

Elsewhere on the frontlines, the Russian military mentioned its troops captured Oleksandropil village within the japanese Donetsk area, the location of a few of the most intense preventing within the warfare.

In addition to Sumy, Russia additionally pounded japanese Ukraine with missiles and drones, killing six and wounding greater than a dozen, officers mentioned. In Kherson, Russian shelling hit a truck carrying humanitarian assist Saturday morning.

Putin declined to journey to Turkey for the assembly, main Zelensky to accuse him of being “afraid” and to argue that Russia was not taking the talks severely.

“Yesterday in Istanbul, everybody noticed a weak and unprepared Russian delegation with no important powers. This should change. We want actual steps to finish the warfare,” Zelensky mentioned Saturday.

On Friday, Zelensky had known as for a “sturdy response” from the world if the Istanbul talks failed, together with new sanctions, in feedback at a European summit in Albania.

Macron mentioned European nations had been coordinating with Washington on extra sanctions ought to Moscow proceed to refuse an “unconditional ceasefire”.

Throughout the Istanbul talks, the Ukrainian facet mentioned Russia had made “unacceptable” territorial calls for.

Moscow claims annexation of 5 Ukrainian areas — 4 since its 2022 invasion, and Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.