Donald Trump says that “a ceasefire will take place” as he announced plans to speak with Vladimir Putin on Monday, followed by phone calls to Volodymyr Zelensky and Nato leaders.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US president said: “The subjects of the call will be stopping the ‘bloodbath’ that is killing, on average, more than 5,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, and trade.”
Mr Trump, who has made ending the war a priority, and expressed frustration with both Mr Zelensky and – to a lesser degree – Mr Putin, added: “Hopefully it will be a productive day, a ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war, a war that should have never happened, will end. God bless us all!!”
His announcement came after the first direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv in years ended in Istanbul on Friday with no breakthrough, save for a 1,000-strong prisoner swap, which is similar in size to several such exchanges so far this year.
Mr Putin snubbed the talks after a challenge by Mr Zelensky to attend, while Kyiv sources claimed Russian used the meeting to demand Kyiv give up swathes of its territory well beyond the current front lines.
Less than a day after the brief talks ended, nine people were killed when a Russian drone struck a passenger bus in north-eastern Ukraine.
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Key Points
- Trump confirms phone calls with Putin and Zelensky to take place on Monday
- Nine killed in Russian attack on Ukrainian civilian bus
- Russia and Ukraine agree to swap 1,000 prisoners each, Moscow says
- Trump says he will meet Putin as soon as possible
- Recap: What happened on Friday, a turbulent day for peace in Ukraine?
Full report: Trump confirms phone calls with Putin and Zelensky to take place on Monday
16:49
,
Andy Gregory
Days after Vladimir Putin no-showed a peace summit in Turkey, President Donald Trump confirmed that he would speak to both the Russian leader and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump posted on his TruthSocial platform that separate phone calls will take place on Monday and will cover both the war in Ukraine and trade.
“The subjects of the call will be stopping the “Bloodbath” that is killing, on average, more than 5000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, and trade,” Trump wrote.
“I will then be speaking to President Zelenskyy of Ukraine and then, with President Zelenskyy, various members of Nato. Hopefully it will be a productive day. A ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war, a war that should have never happened, will end. God bless us all!!!”
Paul Farrell reports:
Trump says he hopes 'ceasefire will take place' as he announces calls with Putin and Zelensky
16:35
,
Andy Gregory
Donald Trump has expressed hope that “a ceasefire will take place” as he announced plans to speak with Vladimir Putin and then Volodymyr Zelensky and Nato leaders in phone calls on Monday.
“Hopefully it will be a productive day, a ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war, a war that should have never happened, will end. God bless us all!!” the US president wrote on Truth Social.
Trump says he will speak with Putin and Zelensky on Monday
16:29
,
Andy Gregory
Donald Trump has announced that he will speak with Vladimir Putin on Monday morning.
“The subjects of the call will be stopping the ‘bloodbath’ that is killing, on average, more than 5,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, and trade,” the US president said on his Truth Social platform.
Mr Trump said he would speak with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and various members of Nato following his call with the Russian president.
Kremlin claims a Putin-Zelensky meeting is possible – despite Russian president's no-show this week
16:00
,
Andy Gregory
The Kremlin has claimed that it considers a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky possible, despite the Russian president failing to show up for such a meeting in Istanbul only days ago.
According to the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul this possibility was discussed during Friday’s talks, and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Saturday that Moscow considered such a meeting was possible, but only as a result of work between the two sides to “achieve certain results in the form of agreements”.
But seeking once again to cast doubt on the legitimacy of Mr Zelensky as Ukraine’s president, given the war-torn country has been unable to hold elections, Mr Peskov claimed: “At the same time, when signing documents that the delegations are to agree upon, the main and fundamental thing for us remains who exactly will sign these documents from the Ukrainian side.”
Russia's Lavrov held phone call with Rubio, Moscow says
15:30
,
Andy Gregory
Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov held a phone call with US secretary of state Marco Rubio in which he praised the “positive role” of the United States in helping to secure a resumption of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine.
The Russian foreign ministry also said that Mr Lavrov had agreed with Mr Rubio to continue further contacts between Russia and the US.
Three days of mourning in Bilopillya declared
15:00
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Three days of mourning has been declared in Bilopillya following the death of nine people in a drone strike.
“This bus was carrying people out of the city for evacuation,” the head of the town’s administration, Yurii Zarko, told the Suspilne news site.
“Wounded were treated at the scene and then moved to a hospital in Sumy. We are currently retrieving the bodies. Some victims have not yet been identified. Most of them are elderly women, along with two or three men.”
Pope Leo offers Vatican for peace talks
14:30
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Pope Leo XIV suggested holding peace talks between Ukraine and Russia at the Vatican.
The Vatican described the outcome of talks in Istanbul this week as “tragic”, according to Politico.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, told reporters on Friday: “This is all tragic because we hoped that it would be a, maybe slow, process, but with a peaceful solution to the conflict, and instead we are back at the beginning.”
“The pope plans to make the Vatican, the Holy See, available for a direct meeting between the two sides,” he added.
Russia 'demanding Ukraine withdrawal before ceasefire can begin'
14:17
,
Sam Rkaina
Russian negotiators at peace talks in Istanbul demanded Kyiv pull its troops out of all the Ukrainian regions claimed by Moscow before they would agree to a ceasefire, a senior Ukrainian official has told Reuters.
The Kremlin declined to comment on the terms that Russia had put forward at Friday's meeting in Turkey - the first time the warring sides had held face-to-face talks since March 2022, weeks after Russia's full-scale invasion.
Ukraine and Western governments, including the U.S., have demanded that Russia agree to an immediate, unconditional ceasefire lasting at least 30 days.
But the Ukrainian source said Moscow's negotiators had demanded the withdrawal of troops from the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Luhansk regions, with a ceasefire to take place only after that.
The source said that and other demands went beyond the terms of a draft peace deal that the United States proposed last month after consultations with Moscow.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the Ukrainian account, saying talks should be conducted "absolutely behind closed doors".
He said the next steps would be to carry out the prisoner exchange and conduct further work between the two sides. Peskov said it was possible that President Vladimir Putin could meet Zelenskiy, but only if "certain agreements" were reached, which he did not specify.
Watch: Trump says 'nothing will happen' in Ukraine peace talks until he meets Putin
14:00
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Russian attacks have killed at least 13 people in 24 hours, Ukraine’s Air Force says
13:00
,
Rebeca Whittaker
Russian attacks have killed at least 13 people and injured 32 across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, according to local authorities.
Russian forces launched a drone assault across Ukraine overnight, using 62 drones from Russia and occupied Crimea, according to Ukraine’s Air Force.
Ukrainian Air Force shot down 36 drones over multiple regions. Six decoy UAVs were lost through electronic warfare and did not reach their targets, the Kyiv Independent reported.
Breakthrough in Russia-Ukraine talks, but no ceasefire
12:30
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each in their first talks for more than three years.
But the two sides fell short of negotiating a ceasefire as Kyiv said Moscow had presented conditions that were “non-starters”.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy claims victims 'suffered burns, fractures, and blast injuries'
12:00
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Following the drone strike Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X that there are currently seven wounded people in hospital.
He said: “The victims have suffered burns, fractures, and blast injuries.
“All of them are receiving the necessary medical assistance. Tragically, nine people were killed. All the details are being verified.
“According to preliminary reports, the Russians killed a family: father, mother, and daughter died in the attack.”
“My condolences to all the families and loved ones,” he added.
He claimed: “The Russians could not have failed to understand what kind of vehicle they were targeting. This was a deliberate killing of civilians.”
Images show damaged passenger bus after drone strike
11:30
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Nine people have been killed in a Russian drone attack on a civilian minibus in north-eastern Ukraine
Regional military leaders said seven other people were injured in the attack on Saturday morning in Bilopillia, Sumy, as the minibus travelled to the regional capital close to Russia's border.
Medics, emergency services, and police rushed to the scene of the strike in Bilopillia town in Ukraine’s Sumy region on Saturday morning, according to the head of the regional military administration.
Images show the bus was badly damaged.
Full quotes from head of Russia's delegation after Istanbul talks
10:00
,
Shweta Sharma
Here is what Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia's peace delegation, said after Istanbul talks.
In general, we are satisfied with the result and are ready to continue contacts. In the coming days, there will be a massive thousand-for-thousand prisoner exchange.
The Ukrainian side requested direct talks between the leaders of the states. We have taken note of this request.
We have agreed that each side will present its vision of a possible future ceasefire and spell it out in detail. After such a vision has been presented, we believe it would be appropriate, as also agreed, to continue our negotiations.
'Non-starter' Ukraine talks renew call for US sanctions bill
09:30
,
Shweta Sharma
US senator have renewed calls for Congress to pass sanctions on Russia after Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks showed little progress, but no votes were scheduled on bills introduced six weeks ago aimed at pressuring Moscow to negotiate seriously.
Kyiv and Moscow's first direct talks in more than three years on Friday ended in well under two hours, with Russia presenting conditions that a Ukrainian source described as "non-starters."
Russian President Vladimir “Putin will continue stonewalling and slow-walking ceasefire efforts till his economy is hit hard -- isolating it on a financial island," Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said in a statement urging a vote on sanctions legislation.
Mr Blumenthal and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham introduced a bill on 1 April that is intended to make it more difficult for Russia to fund its war by adding provisions like a 500 per cent tariff on imports to the US from countries that buy Russian energy.
The Senate bill now has at least 73 co-sponsors in the 100-member chamber, although leaders have not indicated when it might be brought up for a vote. A similar measure introduced the same day in the House of Representatives has 28 co-sponsors, also from both parties.
Mr Graham, who was in Turkey for a Nato foreign ministers meeting this week, called for the bill's passage, criticizing Mr Putin's decision not to attend the talks with Ukraine.
"When it comes to Russia’s games, enough is enough," Mr Graham said in a statement.
David Lammy says 'Putin enough is enough'
09:11
,
Shweta Sharma
British foreign minister Lammy accused Moscow of obfuscating after talks between Ukraine and Russia on a possible ceasefire ended in less than two hours.
"Yet again we are seeing obfuscation on the Russian side and unwillingness to get serious about the enduring peace that is now required in Ukraine," Mr Lammy said. "Once again Russia is not serious."
"At what point do we say to Putin enough is enough?" he said
It came as Donald Trump said "nothing could happen" until he had met directly with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
What happened at the Russia-Ukraine meeting in Turkey?
09:00
,
Shweta Sharma
At the meeting convened by Turkey, the negotiating teams sat opposite one another at a U-shaped table, with the Russians dressed in suits while half of the Ukrainians wore military fatigues.
The atmosphere was calm, a Turkish official said. No concrete timetable or location was agreed for the next talks, the official said, with both sides needing to debrief their leaders first.
The Ukrainians spoke in their own language through an interpreter, a Ukrainian source said, although Russian is widely spoken in Ukraine.
A Ukrainian and a European source said Russia rejected a Ukrainian request for US representatives to be in the room.
Two sources familiar with the talks said Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia's peace delegation said Russia was ready to keep fighting for as long as necessary, drawing a parallel with the wars of Tsar Peter the Great against Sweden, which lasted 21 years in the early 1700s.
"We do not want war, but we are ready to fight for a year, two, three as long as you want," one of the sources quoted him as saying.
Recap: Everything that has happened so far
08:30
,
Shweta Sharma
Here is the recap of events since Friday if you are just joining us.
• Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks since 2022 in Istanbul, at the Dolmabahce Palace. The meeting lasted just under two hours; neither Vladimir Putin nor Volodymyr Zelensky attended
• No major breakthrough was achieved, with expectations already low ahead of the talks. The only tangible outcome was an agreement to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each – the largest swap of the war
• Ukraine pushed for a 30-day ceasefire, but Moscow rejected the proposal and stuck to its maximalist demands
• Ukraine said Russia signalled willingness to continue talks and acknowledged Ukraine's request for a Zelensky and Putin meeting
• Zelenskyy reiterated his call for an immediate, full, and honest ceasefire to stop the bloodshed. He also urged further sanctions on Moscow if it refuses to agree to a ceasefire
• Hours after the talks in Turkey, a Russian drone strike killed nine people in Ukraine’s Sumy after a bus came under attack. Russia said it was targeting targeted a Ukrainian military equipment staging area in the Sumy region
Russia and Ukraine agree to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war – but fail to secure peace in Turkey talks
08:00
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each in their first talks for more than three years. But the two sides fell short of negotiating a ceasefire as Kyiv said Moscow had presented conditions that were “non-starters”.
Under pressure from US president Donald Trump to end the conflict, delegates from the warring countries met for the first time since March 2022, the month after Russia invaded its neighbour.
The negotiations, held in Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace and mediated by a Turkish team, took place after a turbulent two days cast doubt over whether the meeting would take place at all.
The talks lasted under two hours and there was no immediate announcement on whether or when the sides might meet again, although Russia expressed satisfaction with the meeting and said it was ready to continue contacts.
Ukraine said its next goal is for Vladimir Putin to meet directly with Volodymyr Zelensky; Russia said it had "taken note" of the request.
'A cynical war crime', Ukraine's police say after Russian bus strike
07:30
,
Shweta Sharma
Ukraine’s National Police called the bus strike in Sumy a “cynical war crime” after nine people were killed in a drone strike on a bus.
"This is not just another shelling, it is a cynical war crime," Ukraine's National Police said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.
Ihor Tkachenko, head of Sumy's military administration, said on Telegram that a rescue operation was under way.
A Russian drone hit a bus, killing nine people and injuring four more in the region of Sumy, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday, in an attack that took place hours after Moscow and Kyiv held their first direct peace talks in years.
Ukraine's police posted photos of a dark blue passenger van nearly destroyed, with the roof torn off and the windows blown out.
Pope meets with head of Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine, who invites him to Kyiv
07:00
,
Jabed Ahmed
Russia says it targeted Ukrainian military equipment in Sumy
06:43
,
Shweta Sharma
Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed it had targeted a Ukrainian military equipment staging area in the Sumy region, according to state news agency Tass.
It came shortly after Ukrainian officials said nine people were killed after a drone strike hit a bus, killing nine passengers.
The attack happened after a meeting of Russian and Ukrainian officials in Turkey on Friday failed to broker a temporary ceasefire. It was the first direct dialogue between the two sides since the early months of the war that Russia launched in February 2022.
Visuals show remains of the mangled passenger bus after Russian strike
06:26
The pictures have emerged of the passenger bus that was hit by a drone strike in Ukraine’s Sumy, killing nine people.
The blue passenger bus was badly damaged, with its roof partially blown off and the right side completely destroyed.
ICYMI | Zelensky-Putin meeting should be next step, says Ukrainian defence minister
06:00
,
Jabed Ahmed
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov has said Kyiv believes the next step after Friday's talks about the war with a Russian delegation should be a meeting of the nation's two leaders.
Umerov told reporters that the first priority in the talks on Friday in Istanbul was to secure the release of prisoners of war, and the second, to secure a ceasefire, adding that the next step should be leader-level talks.
Ukraine's deputy foreign minister, Serhiy Kyslytsia, said he hoped the nations' two leaders would meet "sooner rather than later".
Putin's investment envoys hails peace talks
05:55
,
Shweta Sharma
The first direct Russia-Ukraine dialogue in three years has produced good results, Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin's investment envoy, said late on Friday.
"1. Largest POW exchange 2. Ceasefire options that may work 3. Understanding of positions and continued dialogue," Dmitriev, the chief of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, said on social media platform X.
At least eight killed after Russian attack on Ukrainian civilian bus
05:32
,
Shweta Sharma
At least eight people have been killed and five injured after a Russian attack hit a bus with civilians in Ukraine's Sumy region, the head of the military administration of the region in Ukraine's northeast said on Saturday.
"Passengers have been injured," Ihor Tkachenko, head of Sumy's military administration, said on the Telegram messaging app.
"Medics and rescuers have been urgently sent to the scene'".
The attack came hours after Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks in three years.
EU readying new sanctions to increase pressure on Russia, von der Leyen says
05:26
,
Shweta Sharma
The European Union is working on a new package of sanctions to increase pressure on Russian president Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine, EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen said as leaders from across Europe met in Albania.
The European Political Community Summit, which includes non-EU countries, convened in the Albanian capital Tirana as Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met in Istanbul for their first direct peace talks in more than three year.
"He does not want peace, so we have to increase the pressure, and this is why we are working on a new package of sanctions," Ms von der Leyen said, referring to Putin.
"This package will include for example sanctions on Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2. It will include working on listing more vessels of the Russian shadow fleet and also lowering the oil price cap, and will include more sanctions on the financial sector in Russia."
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte had said earlier in the day that Putin had "made a mistake by sending a low-level delegation" to Istanbul.
Sir Keir Starmer says Russian 'position is clearly unacceptable' as he talks to Trump
05:09
,
Shweta Sharma
The British prime minister Keir Starmer said he and European allies spoke to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump on Friday to begin "closely aligning" a response to Russia's "unacceptable" position in Ukraine peace talks.
After the phone call, he told reporters in Tirana, Albania: "We just had a meeting with President Zelensky and then a phone call with President Trump to discuss the developments in the negotiations today.
"And the Russian position is clearly unacceptable, and not for the first time.
"So as a result of that meeting with President Zelensky and that call with President Trump we are now closely aligning our responses and will continue to do so."
Sir Keir said the prisoner swap was "obviously a good thing" but that "we need to be really clear in putting the pressure on for a ceasefire".
"And I'm very keen to continue to put that pressure on, because we need to make sure that Putin comes to the table, but his actions this week still show me that he's not serious yet about peace."
Watch | Trump says 'nothing will happen' in Ukraine peace talks until he meets Putin
05:00
,
Jabed Ahmed
Ukraine calls on allies to keep pressure on Russia after talks yield no ceasefire
04:59
,
Shweta Sharma
Ukraine rallied support from its Western allies on Friday after Kyiv and Moscow failed to agree to a ceasefire at their first direct talks in more than three years, with Russia presenting conditions that a Ukrainian source described as "non-starters".
As soon as the talks ended, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky held a phone call with Donald Trump and the leaders of France, Germany and Poland, his spokesperson said.
Mr Zelensky said robust sanctions should follow if Russia rejects a ceasefire.
Russia's demands were "detached from reality and go far beyond anything that was previously discussed," a source in the Ukrainian delegation told Reuters.
The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Moscow had issued ultimatums for Ukraine to withdraw from parts of its own territory in order to obtain a ceasefire "and other non-starters and non-constructive conditions".
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X that he and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas agreed that "pressure on Moscow must be strengthened to achieve a full and durable ceasefire".
Trump threatens to impose sanctions on Russia and Ukraine if peace talks fail
04:44
,
Shweta Sharma
US president Donald Trump threatened to impose sanctions on Russia if Kremlin will not negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine.
"Honestly, I will (impose sanctions), if we're not gonna make a deal," Mr Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier in an interview released on Friday.
"This is turkey time, we’re talking turkey, and we’ll see what happens. This would be crushing for Russia because they're having a hard time now with the economy, oil prices are low."
Mr Trump claimed that Vladimir Putin is ready to negotiate.
“Putin is at the table,” Mr Trump said. “He wanted this meeting... I think Putin is tired of this whole thing. And he's not looking good, and he wants to look good.”
“I always felt there can't be a meeting without me because I don't think a deal's going to get through... There's a lot of hatred on both sides,” Mr Trump said, suggesting that he intends to meet Mr Putin soon.
“I have a very good relationship with Putin. I think we'll make a deal. We have to get together, and I think we'll probably schedule it.”
Australia 'appalled' Russia's jailing of Melbourne man caught in Ukraine
04:31
,
Shweta Sharma
Australia's foreign minister on Saturday condemned a 13-year prison sentence handed by a Russian court to an Australian citizen for fighting alongside Ukrainian forces.
Oscar Jenkins, 33, will serve the sentence in a maximum security prison after being found guilty by a Russian court of participating in an armed conflict as a mercenary, state prosecutors in a part of eastern Ukraine controlled by Russia said on Friday.
Foreign minister Penny Wong said in a statement that Australia's government was "appalled at the sham trial and 13-year sentence" given to Mr Jenkins, previously a teacher in Melbourne.
"As a full serving member of the regular Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mr Jenkins is a prisoner of war," said Ms Wong, a long-time strident critic of Russia's war against Ukraine.
"The Australian Government has made clear to Russia that Mr Jenkins must be given the protections afforded to him as a prisoner of war. Russia is obligated to treat him in accordance with international humanitarian law, including humane treatment," the foreign minister said.
She said Australia's government would work with Ukraine and the International Committee of the Red Cross to push for Jenkins' welfare and release.
Mr Jenkins was serving with Ukraine's military when he was captured by Russia last year as a prisoner of war, Australian media reported earlier this year. A video taken at the time showed him, dressed in combat uniform, being asked if he was a mercenary, reports said.
Pope Leo to offer to host Russia and Ukraine talks at the Vatican
04:09
,
Shweta Sharma
The first American-born pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, will offer Russia and Ukraine to host their talks to broker a peace deal at the Vatican, a top Catholic official said.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s secretary of state, told reporters in Rome that the new pope is willing to offer the Vatican as a venue for direct talks between the two parties, if necessary.
“It is an offer of a location,” he said.
Leo, formerly known as Cardinal Robert Prevost before his election last week to succeed the late Pope Francis as head of the Catholic Church, called for peace in Ukraine during his first Sunday blessing.
Addressing world leaders, he echoed the enduring appeal, “never again war.”He also spoke by phone with president Volodymyr Zelensky last Sunday.
Analysis | Why Putin’s no-show at peace talks in Turkey is all part of his brutal pantomime
04:00
,
Jabed Ahmed
Russia threatened 'eternal war' in peace talks, sources say
03:53
,
Shweta Sharma
Russia threatened Ukraine with “eternal war” during their peace talks in Turkey, a source in the Ukrainian delegation told Sky News.
The person who was not named said Russians were reluctant to talk about the technical details of a ceasefire and awaited superiors’ approval.
Russia said on Friday that the first direct talks with Ukraine in more than three years had yielded a deal to swap 1,000 prisoners of war each soon and to resume talks after each side had set out its vision for a future ceasefire.
Previously, a Ukrainian source said Kyiv was not satisfied with the talks as Moscow made “unrealistic” demands.
Full report | Russia and Ukraine agree to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war – but fail to secure peace in Turkey talks
03:00
,
Jabed Ahmed
Starmer speaks to Trump, Zelensky and European allies to ‘align’ response to Russia
01:00
,
Jabed Ahmed
The Prime Minister said he and European allies spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump on Friday to begin “closely aligning” a response to Russia’s “unacceptable” position in Ukraine peace talks.
Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Zelensky and the leaders of France, Germany and Poland held a phone call with the US president to discuss “developments” in the negotiations on Friday, he said.
The talks in Istanbul lasted less than two hours and the sides agreed to the biggest prisoner exchange since the start of the war in 2022.
Sir Keir said the prisoner swap was “obviously a good thing” but that “we need to be really clear in putting the pressure on for a ceasefire”.
After the phone call, he told reporters in Tirana, Albania: “We just had a meeting with President Zelensky and then a phone call with President Trump to discuss the developments in the negotiations today.
“And the Russian position is clearly unacceptable, and not for the first time.
“So as a result of that meeting with President Zelensky and that call with President Trump we are now closely aligning our responses and will continue to do so.”
Mapped: Frontline in Ukraine as Kyiv and Moscow set to begin first direct talks since 2022
Friday 16 May 2025 23:59
,
Jabed Ahmed
New head of Russian land forces distinguished himself in Ukraine
Friday 16 May 2025 23:00
,
Jabed Ahmed
A colonel general dubbed "General Breakthrough" for distinguishing himself in key battles in Moscow's more than three-year-old war in Ukraine has been appointed head of Russia's land forces, the daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta said.
The government daily said Andrei Mordvichev was born in 1976 in what was then Soviet Kazakhstan and last year was decorated as a Hero of Russia, the country's highest award.
Mordvichev, previously head of the Central Military District, commanded operations that led to the 2022 surrender of Ukrainian units holding out in the Azovstal steelworks after a siege of about 80 days in the southern port of Mariupol.
In 2024, he led Russian troops capturing the mining centre of Avdiivka in Donetsk region on the war's eastern front, a key operation in a town where Ukrainian authorities had for years built up fortifications.
Rossiiskaya Gazeta said he also led Russian forces in retaking three key towns in their slow advance westward through Donetsk region - Selydove, Kurakhove and Ukrainsk.
Earlier in his career, he had also taken part in conflicts in Syria.
Mordvichev takes over from army general Oleg Salyukov, replaced as head of ground forces on Thursday by a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin.
Salyukov, 69, was appointed deputy secretary of the Security Council, the Kremlin's top consultative body, chaired by Putin, and which is responsible for managing and integrating national security policy.
'Non-starter' Ukraine talks renew call for US sanctions bill
Friday 16 May 2025 22:00
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