President Donald Trump is preparing for what could be pivotal conversations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The White House has confirmed that President Trump will speak by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin this Monday, a move that follows the first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in over three years. But even as diplomacy re-emerges, violence continues to claim innocent lives.
Just hours after those rare peace talks in Turkey, tragedy struck in northeastern Ukraine. A Russian drone targeted a civilian evacuation bus in the town of Bilopillia, just miles from the Russian border. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that nine civilians were killed, and several others seriously wounded, calling it a deliberate and cruel attack. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned the strike, while Zelenskyy urged the international community to hold Moscow accountable.
Despite the grim headlines, diplomatic activity has intensified. Kremlin officials confirmed that preparations are underway for Monday’s Trump–Putin call. According to the Kremlin’s Dmitry Peskov, the conversation will address both the ongoing conflict and trade relations. President Trump made the announcement himself on his Truth Social platform, writing, in capital letters, that he hopes it will be, quote, ‘a productive day’ focused on stopping the ‘bloodbath’ in the region.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov over the weekend. Both sides praised a breakthrough prisoner exchange agreed to during the Istanbul meeting. Lavrov also credited the U.S. with playing a constructive role in facilitating renewed dialogue between the warring nations.
Following his call with Putin, President Trump says he’ll speak next with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and then consult with NATO leaders. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed confidence that Trump would respond to what he called Putin’s ‘cynicism’ following the Sumy attack, reaffirming Europe’s unified stance behind an immediate ceasefire.
European leaders, meeting in Albania on Friday, urged Trump to press Moscow harder for a truce. Macron, along with Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the U.K.’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, reiterated their full support for a ceasefire initiative backed by the United States.
The Kremlin has made clear that any future peace talks depend on completing a massive 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner-of-war exchange, as agreed in Istanbul. Peskov also hinted at the possibility of a future Trump–Zelenskyy–Putin summit but only if sufficient progress is made.
Elsewhere, Germany is tightening security in the Baltic Sea after reports of suspected Russian sabotage targeting underwater infrastructure. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul warned of a so-called shadow fleet, a network of ships evading sanctions and allegedly involved in damaging pipelines and cables.
In another development, the Australian government has condemned what it calls a ‘sham trial’ of Oscar Jenkins, an Australian man sentenced to 13 years by a Russian-controlled court for fighting with Ukraine’s armed forces. Officials insist Jenkins is a lawful combatant and should be treated as a prisoner of war under the Geneva Convention.
With Trump’s high-stakes calls looming and the war grinding on, the world is watching, hoping these next conversations might finally open the door to peace. We will be tracking it all, right here on SNEWS TV.
Reporting by Megan Owen.
