US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin commenced a phone call on Monday to discuss avenues for ending the war in Ukraine, the White House announced. The call takes place amid escalating concerns that negotiations to conclude Europe's most intense conflict since World War Two could reach an impasse, particularly as Washington has repeatedly suggested it might withdraw from mediation efforts. A White House official told Reuters the "call is ongoing," with Putin speaking from the Black Sea resort of Sochi and Trump from Washington. For weeks, the US president has advocated for an agreement, even a temporary one, to establish a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, and has threatened sanctions against any party obstructing this path. Trump, who has frequently called for an end to the "bloodshed" in Ukraine, told Fox News last Friday that he "will use his influence on Putin if he deems it necessary." The call follows a meeting in Istanbul on Friday where representatives from the two warring nations convened for the first time since March 2022, after Putin proposed direct talks. European nations and Ukraine have concurrently demanded an immediate ceasefire. On Sunday, Trump held a conference call with the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, who urged him to impose sanctions on Russia if Putin does not agree to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire during their conversation. The US administration has voiced apprehension about the progress of peace efforts. Shortly before the presidential call, US Vice President J.D. Vance told reporters that Washington recognised "a bit of an impasse here" in the path toward ending the war. He stated that if Moscow is unwilling to engage, the United States might ultimately have to declare that it is not its conflict. "And I think the president's going to say to President Putin: 'Look, are you serious? Are you real about this?'" Vance said as he prepared to depart from Italy. He continued, "I think honestly that President Putin, he doesn't quite know how to get out of the war." Vance indicated that it "takes two to tango. I know the President's willing to do that, but if Russia is not willing to do that, then we're eventually just going to say, this is not our war." He noted that his country would attempt to end the conflict, but "if we can't end it, we're eventually going to say: 'You know what? That was worth a try, but we're not doing any more.'" Separately, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump wanted to see a ceasefire, but that hehad grown "weary and frustrated with both sides of the conflict." Trump is also expected to speak with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, later on Monday. Earlier in the day, Ukrainian television reported that Trump had spoken by phone with Zelenskyy before his subsequent call with Putin, though the television report did not provide details regarding the content of the call with the Ukrainian leader. The Kremlin said in a statement that the Russian side is prepared to work on resolving differences concerning the Ukrainian crisis. However, it noted that "settling the Ukrainian conflict involves many nuances, and hard work lies ahead." In Kyiv on Sunday, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is ready to engage in genuine negotiations with Russia, emphasizingthe importance of achieving a ceasefire as soon as possible.
