The American President, Donald Trump, anticipates that his forthcoming calls on Monday (May 19, 2025) to Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, will facilitate strides towards a halt in the ongoing Ukrainian conflict. Over the weekend, he took to social media to express his optimism for a constructive day ahead — including the promise of a disabling of wartime hostilities. His plan also consists of engagement with leaders of the NATO alliance.
President Trump has been grappling with the task of terminating a conflict that originated with Russia’s incursion into the Ukrainian territory in February of 2022. Believing in the potency of his distinctive charisma and personal rapport with President Putin, Trump is betting on these qualities to resolve potential deadlock over the proposition of a ceasefire
A concern exists over Trump’s purported bias towards Putin, which critics argue might leave Ukraine in a compromised position during any potential agreements negotiated by the U.S administration. In advance of the intended talks, Trump expressed his growing frustration over the enduring war on a social media update posted on Saturday (May 17, 2025).
He announced that the consultation process would commence with a call to Putin at the stipulated time of 10 a.m. The agenda for the discussion, he declared, revolves around bringing an end to the war-related loss of life and considering trade issues — hinting at a possible economic angle to the peace negotiations. In the wake of Russia’s intrusion and consequential heavy sanctions imposed by U.S and its allies, Trump could be conceiving of economic enticements to broker an understanding.
In his post, he expresses a wishful sentiment for a cessation of the conflict that, as per his articulation, should never have ignited. Seemingly, his strategy involves leveraging the repercussions of the destructive sanctions that have continuously undercut Russia’s economic progress.
In recent developments, Zelenskyy’s proposal for an on-ground meeting in Turkey, a neutral location, as an alternative to instigating a 30-day stop in battling explicitly encouraged by Ukraine and its Western allies (including America), was disappointingly shot down by Putin. This negotiation standstill culmination occurred on Friday (May 16, 2025), where the bid for a ceasefire did not materialize.
However, an affirmative pact was reached where each nation would free 1,000 war captives, respectively. This agreement was confirmed by Ukrainian Intelligence official, Kyrylo Budanov, on a national telecast on Saturday (May 17, 2025). The speculative timeline for the exchange is projected to take place within the upcoming week.
While concluding his mid-eastern sojourn on Friday (May 16, 2025), Trump revealed that Putin’s absence in Turkey could be attributed to the fact that Trump himself was not in attendance. In his address, he stated with ambiguous interest, “At least we’ll know. And if we don’t solve it, it’ll be very intriguing.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy was engaged in a dialogue with U.S officials in Rome on Sunday (May 18, 2025). This meeting also included key representatives from various European nations, thereby intensifying Zelenskyy’s resolution to broker peace on the eve of Monday’s scheduled calls.
During his discourse with the U.S delegates, they evaluated the failed Turkey talks, noting disparagingly that the Russian side had sent a delegation of subordinate representatives dismissed for lacking decision-making power. Furthermore, Zelenskyy added that he emphasised Ukraine’s commitment to authentic diplomatic practices to achieve a ceasefire.
Further topics brought into discussion during his detailed meeting included possible sanctions against Russia, potential bilateral commerce, defence collaboration, war situation analysis and the imminent exchange of hostages. He expressed the necessity for exerting pressure on Russia until they show willingness to accept peace terms to put an end to the war.
In the midst of this diplomacy, Russia executed the most expansive drone assault on Ukraine since the initiation of its full-fledged incursion in 2022. As Ukraine’s air defence reported on Sunday (May 18, 2025), a massive tally of 273 explosive drones and decoys were released upon Ukraine, which marked a new escalation in the ongoing conflict.
The strategic aerial strike attacked several regions of Ukraine, including the capital city Kyiv, along with Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk. This elevated warfare tactic from the Russian side continues to thwart diplomatic efforts and exacerbate the tension while peace talks remain the topic of high-stakes discussions.