Donald Trump vowed to end the Russia-Ukraine war during his campaign last year. Yet, in the five months since taking office, he has not secured a ceasefire.

On Monday, Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for two hours. This marked their third officially confirmed call since January. Trump did not secure a truce. Instead, he wrote on Truth Social that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to “immediate ceasefire” talks.

Trump also called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after what he described as an “excellent conversation” with Putin. He then called leaders from the European Union, France, Italy, Germany and Finland, along with Zelenskyy.

Ukraine and its Western allies want an immediate ceasefire. Russia insists its concerns be addressed first and says it will only agree to a ceasefire after resolving “the root causes of this crisis.”

Trump and Putin spoke for about two hours on Monday. Trump said Russia and Ukraine would immediately begin negotiations toward a ceasefire and, more importantly, an end to the war. He emphasised that Russia and Ukraine alone would negotiate the terms.

Putin called the conversation “productive.” He thanked Trump for supporting the resumption of direct Russia-Ukraine talks aimed at a peace agreement. Putin made the remarks to reporters in Sochi, a resort on the Black Sea.

The Trump-Putin call came days after the first direct Russia-Ukraine talks since 2022, held in Istanbul. The talks didn’t result in a ceasefire, but both sides agreed to a prisoner exchange.

A U.S. delegation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also present in Istanbul, part of the Trump administration’s push to end what has become Europe’s worst war since World War II.

Trump has criticised former President Joe Biden’s Ukraine policy, which involved sending billions of dollars in weapons and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Trump’s administration has already cut some of that aid.

A day before the calls, Ukraine accused Russia of launching its largest drone attack of the war, killing at least one woman. Moscow has not responded to the accusation.

Putin said Trump presented his position on the prospects for a ceasefire. Putin stated that Russia supports a peaceful resolution and that the current task is to identify the most effective way forward. He added that Russia is ready to work with Ukraine on a memorandum for a future peace accord. The document would define settlement principles and a possible timeline.

Putin reiterated that Russia wants to eliminate the root causes of the crisis. He said Ukraine must abandon its NATO ambitions and withdraw from regions partially occupied by Russian forces—demands that Ukraine has rejected.

Despite Trump’s push for talks, Moscow has not shown urgency. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were “no deadlines, and there cannot be any,” adding, “the devil is in the details.”

Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova reported from Moscow that “not much” was agreed to during the call in terms of “concrete steps.” She said Putin believes the U.S., because of its influence, can resolve the issues.

The war began in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A month later, Russia and Ukraine held talks in Turkiye that ended without a breakthrough. Putin on Monday said Ukraine had “thwarted” those talks. Zelenskyy said the talks collapsed because Russia demanded Ukraine give up long-range weapons, make constitutional changes, and cede territory seized by Russian forces.

Trump said he believed the call with Putin “went very well.” Since returning to the office in January, he has tried to contact Putin multiple times. Monday’s call was their third long conversation. Trump has also sent his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Moscow several times to meet with Putin.

Trump’s relationship with Zelenskyy has been tense. In February, he publicly criticised Zelenskyy at the White House, calling him “disrespectful” and accusing him of “gambling with World War III.”

After Trump’s inauguration, U.S. officials met separately with Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in Saudi Arabia to support peace efforts. In a departure from previous administrations, Trump has moved to restore U.S.-Russia ties. In February, U.S. and Russian delegations met in Riyadh to improve relations and advance peace in Ukraine.

Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, said in March that Trump handles diplomacy in a transactional way, with economics driving foreign policy.

In a state TV interview in February, Putin offered Trump access to rare earth minerals, including from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories. Trump later posted that Russia wants “large-scale TRADE” with the U.S. after the war, and he agreed. He said Russia could create “massive amounts of jobs and wealth,” and that Ukraine, too, would benefit from trade during its reconstruction.

Marina Miron, a postdoctoral researcher at King’s College London’s Defence Studies Department, said the Trump administration will act in America’s interest. If improved relations with Russia serve those interests more than support for Ukraine, then that will guide policy. She noted that the U.S. has already secured a minerals deal with Ukraine, signed on April 30, giving it preferential access to the country’s resources.

Zelenskyy said he spoke to Trump twice on Monday. The first was a direct call, and the second included European leaders. On X, he said he reaffirmed to Trump that Ukraine is “ready for a full and unconditional ceasefire,” particularly as the U.S. has discussed. He stressed the importance of not diluting the proposal.

Zelenskyy wrote that if Russia isn’t ready, then sanctions should be increased. He said pressure on Russia would lead to genuine peace. “Russia must end the war it started, and it can begin doing so any day. Ukraine has always been ready for peace.”

On Tuesday, the EU and UK imposed sanctions on Russia after the Trump-Putin call failed to produce a breakthrough.

Speaking in Kyiv on Monday, Zelenskyy said he’s ready to sign a bilateral memorandum with Russia that would include ceasefire provisions. He said such a document could lead to a roadmap for ending the war and a final agreement.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen joined the second call between Trump and Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy said they discussed next steps, including meetings between negotiators and a fair review of all proposals. He insisted that both American and European representatives must participate at the appropriate level.

Ukraine has asked the U.S. to stay involved in the talks. Since the invasion, the U.S. has been Kyiv’s largest weapons supplier and a key diplomatic ally at the UN. However, the Trump administration wants European countries to increase their defence commitments instead of relying on U.S. guarantees.

On Monday, Merz wrote on X: “We will closely support Ukraine on its path toward a ceasefire.” Meloni backed “an immediate start of negotiations between the parties that can lead to a ceasefire as soon as possible.”

Pope Leo XIV, newly elected, has offered to host direct talks between Russia and Ukraine at the Vatican. Meloni said the Holy Father’s offer was welcomed and that Italy is ready to help facilitate peace talks.

Zelenskyy added that Turkiye and Switzerland are also being considered as venues for direct negotiations. Putin said that the resumed contacts among Istanbul participants show that the process is on the right track.

Later on Monday, Trump said he expected progress but would “just back away” if there wasn’t any.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump has “grown weary and frustrated with both sides of the conflict.” She didn’t confirm whether Trump had set a deadline.

Zelenskyy called for continued U.S. involvement. He said it’s crucial that the U.S. “does not distance itself” from the negotiations.

Miron, the researcher at King’s College, said she expects the U.S. to take a more passive stance as Europeans step in. She added that Trump will only re-engage if the conflict affects U.S. interests. Other global issues may take priority for Washington.