Washington, May 18 (V7N) – Former U.S. President Donald Trump plans to speak by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, followed by calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and leaders of several NATO countries. The talks aim to explore ways to end the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Trump expressed hope that his conversation with Putin would lead to a ceasefire and a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Writing on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday, Trump stated, "There will be a ceasefire agreement and this extremely violent war that should never have happened, and should not, must end now."

The Kremlin confirmed that preparations for the call are underway. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media that discussions for Monday’s phone call are ongoing.

Trump’s announcement comes just a day after the first direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv in years failed to secure a ceasefire, underscoring the challenges in achieving peace amid the ongoing hostilities.

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