President Trump leaves the Middle East with plans to meet Putin
President Trump has left the Middle East as talks began between Ukraine and Russia. He said he would soon meet President Vladimir Putin.
President Donald Trump called with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Voldimi Zelensky to discuss the end of the war in Ukraine on Monday, he said in the Truth Social Post on Saturday.
He will first talk to Putin at 10am, Trump said in the post.
“The subject of the call would stop “Bloodbath,” which kills on average over 5,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers in a week and stop trading,” he said.
Trump said he would then speak to Zelensky and NATO members. Trump concluded his four-day trip to the Middle East on Friday.
Russia and Ukraine agreed to a prisoner exchange in Istanbul on May 16 during their first in-person meeting in three years. They last spoke in person a month after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Each side soon agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war and resume consultations.
Putin and Zelensky were expected to attend the in-person meeting, but Putin retreated and sent a mid-level official in his place. Zelenskyy was appointed his defense minister to lead the consultation accordingly.
