"President (Donald) Trump... is working to stop this war and end the killing. We await receipt of (the Russian) Memorandum... that you promised a week ago. Cease fire now," U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg said.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce on May 27 urged Russia to focus less on President Donald Trump’s social media posts and more on ending its war in Ukraine, saying that if Moscow truly cared about peace efforts, it would prioritize stopping “the carnage and the slaughter that’s happening right now.”
During a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, Trump was told that a "memorandum of peace" outlining conditions for a ceasefire would be delivered shortly. As of May 27, no such document has been received.
After an unprecedented three-day wave of Russian aerial attacks in Ukraine over the weekend, the world is once again looking to U.S. President Donald Trump to take his first steps toward forcing Moscow to end its violence. From May 24 to 26, Russian forces fired more than 600 drones
Key developments on May 27: * Trump admits to protecting Russia from 'really bad things' during Ukraine peace talks * Russia builds power lines to connect occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to its grid, NYT reports * US blocks G7 push to tighten Russian oil price cap, Financial Times reports * Decision on lifting range
Trump's comments come amid growing pressure on the U.S. administration to respond to escalating Russian attacks.
Despite months of resisting President Donald Trump's peace process, the U.S. has yet to take a single concrete step to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into ending his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The proposal was dropped after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly declined to support it.
U.S. President Trump is considering imposing sanctions on Russia as it continues to wage its war against Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported on May 26.
"This is a very crucial moment, which is associated, of course, with the emotional overload of everyone absolutely and with emotional reactions," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said when asked about Trump calling Putin "absolutely crazy."
"I’ve always gotten along with him," Trump said of Putin to reporters at an airport in New Jersey on May 25. "But he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it at all."
In the early 19th century, one of the founding fathers of modern war studies, the Prussian general and military historian Carl von Clausewitz, commented on the Napoleonic Wars: "The conqueror is always peace-loving; he would much prefer to march into our state calmly." This remains an observation that applies to
In what is now a semi-regular occurrence, the workings of U.S.-led global diplomacy has cast a dark shadow over Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on May 19 in the latest attempt to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine. The call came
“Because I think there’s a chance of getting something done, and if you do that, you could also make it much worse," Trump told reporters from the Oval Office on May 19.
The Russian president made no mention of an immediate and unconditional ceasefire — the key demand pushed by U.S. President Donald Trump and accepted by Ukraine back in March.
In October of last year, just days before the U.S. presidential election, Head of the McCain Institute Evelyn Farkas told the Kyiv Independent that a Donald Trump victory would be the "worst-case scenario" for Ukraine. In the months since, a victorious Trump has taken office, dismantled the global post-World
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the conversation between the two leaders is scheduled for 5 p.m. local time and will "reflect the outcomes of last week’s negotiations in Istanbul" between Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
Ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, European leaders also discussed the potential for additional sanctions should Russia fail to engage constructively in ceasefire negotiations.
French President Emmanuel Macron, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will speak to Trump before he calls Putin on the morning of May 19.
"If you put it together, you could say that Zelensky is patient and President Trump is getting impatient, but in the right direction, which is towards Russia," Finnish President Alexander Stubb said after holding separate talks with both Trump and Zelensky this weekend.
"Hopefully it will be a productive day, a ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war — a war that should have never happened — will end. God bless us all!!!" U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social.
"Honestly, I will (impose sanctions), if we're not gonna make a deal," Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier in an interview published on May 16. "This would be crushing for Russia because they're having a hard time now with the economy."
"In Putin’s eyes, all the leaders of the Western world are weaklings and suckers," Ukrainian infantryman "Mamai," told the Kyiv Independent.
"Ukraine is fighting for itself, we are not ready to lose our lives and our land. It doesn't mean that we are aggressors," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he might still go to the potential Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations in Istanbul on May 16 if there is progress toward a deal, the BBC reported.
Key developments on May 14: * Trump says he's unsure whether Putin will attend Ukraine peace talks in Turkey as Kremlin stays silent * Russia likely preparing major offensive in Ukraine despite peace efforts, FT reports * Trump needs to understand that Putin lies, blocks peace efforts, Zelensky says * EU agrees on 17th
"He'd like me to be there, and that's a possibility. ... I don't know that he would be there if I'm not there. We're going to find out," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling to Qatar, Reuters reported.
"Trump needs to believe that Putin actually lies," Zelensky told journalists in Kyiv. "And we should do our part. Sensibly approach this issue, to show that it’s not us that is slowing down the process."
According to Steve Witkoff, the key topics in the peace discussions are the fate of the five partially or fully occupied Ukrainian regions, the status of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and Ukraine's access to the Dnipro River and the Black Sea.
Key developments on May 12: * Trump says 'both leaders' will be at Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul * Russia ignores May 12 ceasefire proposal, Ukraine tells allies at London meeting * 'Clock is ticking' — Germany gives Russia until midnight to implement ceasefire, threatens sanctions * EU to unveil new sanctions against Russia on
Russian President Vladimir Putin may have gotten more than he bargained for when, on May 11, he rejected calls for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire and invited Ukraine to engage in direct talks in Istanbul later this week. In what may have been a surprise for the Russian leader, Ukrainian President
In the middle of the night, Russian President Vladimir Putin gathered Russian state TV to inform them that he is ready to begin direct peace talks with Ukraine on May 15. A day later, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he'll be waiting for Putin in Turkey. "We expect Russia to confirm
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