Trump to speak with Putin amid renewed push for Ukraine ceasefire, White House confirms

US President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a high-stakes phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as part of a renewed White House initiative to end the ongoing war in Ukraine, now entering its third year.

The call follows last week’s peace negotiations in Istanbul and comes amid heightened urgency to stem the growing human toll of the conflict, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking at May 19 morning briefing, confirmed the expected call and said the public can anticipate remarks from either President Trump or the White House following the discussions.

When pressed by a correspondent on whether Trump would establish a new timeline for peace talks during the Putin conversation, Leavitt responded, “His goal is to see a ceasefire and to see this conflict come to an end, and he’s grown weary and frustrated with both sides of the conflict.”

Leavitt also indicated that Trump remains open to meeting with the Russian leader. “The president would certainly be open to that,” she said. “Let’s see how this call goes today.”

Asked whether the American public can expect “to be done financing international wars,” Leavitt emphasized the president’s peace-oriented intentions. “Trump is working overtime to try and bring peace,” she said. However, she refrained from offering substantive details about the content of the call, noting only that she did not want to “get ahead” of the president.

She confirmed a statement would follow the conversation: “Following the Trump-Putin phone call, there will be a statement either from the White House or from the US president himself.”

Leavitt further reiterated Trump’s central objective: “Trump’s goal for today’s call is to see a ceasefire.” She also reiterated the president’s growing frustration, stating he has “grown very frustrated with both sides of the conflict.”

When asked about potential next steps, the press secretary noted, “Everything is on the table,” including possible secondary sanctions. Echoing Trump’s longstanding position, Leavitt asserted—without evidence—that the war would not have occurred had Trump been in office in 2022.

By Vafa Guliyeva