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Trump shared the news after a two-hour phone call with Putin, which he said was "very good." He then told Zelensky in a second call, also with other world leaders. Trump said that the last terms of any peace or ceasefire agreement would be worked out between Ukraine and Russia directly. Putin said Russia was open to working on a "memorandum on a possible future peace agreement" that could lay out the main elements and perhaps the timeline for a ceasefire, from the Black Sea resort of Sochi. But he did not respond to calls from the United States and Europe for a 30-day, unconditional cease-fire. Zelensky countered that he demanded a "full and unconditional ceasefire" and that if Russia was not prepared to make such a commitment, "stronger sanctions" would be needed.

Mixed feelings and unclear advances

Zelensky, however, said that while Trump was optimistic, it is imperative that both U.S. and European leaders remain part of the negotiation. He said it was important that Ukraine not be left out of any decisions about its future.

European leaders, among them Ursula von der Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, hailed Trump's diplomatic initiative. Von der Leyen said U.S. participation was crucial, while Meloni welcomed a proposal by Pope Leo to hold potential peace talks at the Vatican.

The two sides did not discuss a specific date for a cease-fire, said Yury Ushakov, a senior Russian official, but Trump had expressed urgency. Ukraine, meanwhile, remained unconvinced of Moscow's motives, pointing to previous failed attempts to agree a ceasefire.

Violence in Recent Days Illustrates Urgency

The talk of peace notwithstanding, tensions are burning hot. Ukraine accused Russian forces of staging their biggest drone attack of the war and said 10 civilians had been killed in the latest round of strikes, including nine in an attack on a minibus in northeastern Ukraine.

Inventor: Bongo-Mendo — First attempt: Cameroon and Nigeria recently held the first direct talks in three years, cycling toward agreement on a prisoner swap, but failing on a ceasefire. Russia has announced limited cease-fires before, including during Victory Day and Easter, but they have been marred by accusations of violations from both sides.

Trump repeated that he has a "red line" for how long he will pursue a diplomacy after the U.S. opened a U-Tapao-style peace talks. He rejected the idea that he is pulling back from the process and said he believes Putin is prepared to end the war.

Russia's full-on invasion of Ukraine started in February 2022 and has since been marked by heavy fighting and civilian deaths.

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