WASHINGTON D.C.- U.S. President Donald Trump says he’s taking matters into his own hands—literally—by picking up the phone and dialing Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop what he calls the “bloodbath” in Ukraine.
In a Truth Social post Saturday, Trump revealed he’ll speak with Putin on Monday, describing the war as a “disaster” that’s claiming over 5,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers each week.
“THE SUBJECTS OF THE CALL WILL BE, STOPPING THE ‘BLOODBATH’… AND TRADE,” he wrote, signaling a pivot from sidelines commentary to potential peace broker.
The announcement comes on the heels of rare face-to-face talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Turkey—the first such direct exchange since 2022.
Those discussions led to a prisoner swap deal involving 1,000 detainees, a major step in an otherwise frozen diplomatic landscape.
But Trump isn’t impressed with diplomacy-by-proxy. “Nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One earlier this week. “Obviously, he wasn’t going to go [to Turkey] if I wasn’t there.”
Direct Talks: Trump, Putin, and the Ceasefire That Could Be
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed Saturday that preparations for the Trump-Putin call are “underway,” although details remain sketchy.
Trump insists that only a direct conversation with the Russian president can cut through the stalemate and revive the possibility of a lasting ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has held off on attending the Turkey talks, insisting he would only participate if Putin himself showed up—which, unsurprisingly, didn’t happen.
The Russian delegation sent to Istanbul was labeled “low level” by Zelensky’s office, prompting skepticism about Moscow’s commitment to serious negotiation.
Still, the modest gains from the Turkish talks—including the prisoner exchange agreement—have been welcomed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
He conveyed strong support for peace during a call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday, reiterating Trump’s call for an “immediate ceasefire.”
“The comprehensive peace plan proposed by the United States outlines the best way forward,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said. Rubio later echoed those sentiments on X: “Let’s not miss this huge opportunity. The time for ending this war is now.”
Will Trump’s ‘Solo Act’ Work?
Trump, never one to downplay his own influence, told Fox News he’s “tired” of others negotiating the end of the war. “He [Putin] is at the table, and he wanted this meeting,” Trump said. “There can’t be a meeting without me. I don’t think a deal is going to get through otherwise.”
He also stopped short of blaming Putin for the stalled progress, instead suggesting the Russian leader is also weary of the prolonged conflict.
“He’s not looking good, and he wants to look good,” Trump said. “Don’t forget, this was supposed to end in one week.”
As anticipation builds around the planned Trump-Putin call, both the geopolitical stakes and the egos involved remain sky-high.
Whether Monday’s call will yield concrete results or just more headline fodder is anyone’s guess. But one thing’s certain: Trump has placed himself squarely at the center of the Ukraine peace narrative—and isn’t planning to step aside.
