President Trump said ceasefire negotiations would begin "immediately," but the Kremlin has expressed little eagerness for a ceasefire in the war it began.

May 19, US President Donald Trump held a series of phone talks focused on ending the war in Ukraine. He first spoke for over two hours with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and later discussed the situation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders of European countries.

Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their first direct peace talks in three years, but hopes for a breakthrough are still dim after Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face in Turkey.