Trump holds phone call with Putin – DW – 05/19/2025

US President Donald Trump is speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine, the White House said. 

Following this conversation, Trump is scheduled to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In a statement released minutes before US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart were due to speak Moscow seemed to dash hopes for a quick breakthrough.

“There is quite a lot of painstaking work ahead, and in some areas it may be a long process,” Kremilin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

He added that “the settlement involves a large number of nuances that need to be discussed.”

Last week, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Istanbul for their first direct negotiations in nearly three years. However, the talks concluded without any agreement on halting hostilities.

Trump, who has long touted his credentials as a dealmaker, has pledged to end the war swiftly, a promise that is now facing a critical test. 

US President Donald Trump was scheduled to speak with his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin, at this hour.

According to the White House, he will speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy once his call with Putin concludes.

“He’s grown weary and frustrated with both sides of the conflict,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday ahead of the call.

“He has made it clear to both sides that he wants to see a peaceful resolution and ceasefire as soon as possible.”

When asked whether Trump hopes to arrange an in-person meeting with the Russian leader, Leavitt said, “the president would certainly be open to that.”

Separately, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were no current plans for a direct meeting between Putin and Trump.

Leavitt said the White House would make a readout of the calls available later in the day. 

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul spoke with his  Chinese counterpart Wang Yi about Russia’s war in Ukraine. 

“Russia’s war in Ukraine affects core European interests,” German Foreign Ministry said after their phone call, adding: China has “a responsibility for global peace.” 

The discussion was their first since Wadephul took over as foreign minister earlier this month. 

German government spokesman Christian Wagner said the call was focused on German-Chinese relations. 

Last week, Germany’s new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said in parliament on Wednesday that he was concerned about the “growing closeness between Beijing and Moscow.”

Merz also called for “de-risking,” a term used to describe reducing dependence on China. 

Chinese media reported that Wang told Wadephul Monday that Berlin and Beijing should prevent the “undermining of normal bilateral cooperation in the name of so-called ‘de-risking.'”

The Kremlin said Monday that the phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump would start at 5 p.m. Moscow time (14:00 UTC).

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, said Russia “highly valued” Trump’s efforts for peace. 

“It is preferable to achieve our goals through political and diplomatic means, of course,” Peskov added. 

Trump said when he first announced the call would take place, he would also speak with NATO leaders and Zelenskyy afterward. 

“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,” Trump had said. 

The call comes after the first direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in three years last week, although their meetings in Istanbul ended without a commitment to a ceasefire.

It’s also seen as a test for Trump, who had long claimed on the campaign trail that he would quickly settle the conflict once he was back in the White House before his reelection. 

Russia’s prosecutor general outlawed Amnesty International Limited as a so-called undesirable organization. 

In a statement, the prosecutor general described Amnesty International Limited’s London office as a “center for the preparation of global Russophobic projects,” and accused it of advocating for Ukraine.

Involvement with an “undesirable organization” is criminalized under a 2015 law. More than 200 entities, including US government-funded broadcaster RFE/RL and international environmental organization Greenpeace, are classified as such. 

Finland’s Defense Ministry announced that it would fund ammunition for Ukraine using proceeds from frozen Russian assets.

The ammunition will be purchased from Finnish industry “to boost employment at home and [send] to Ukraine to help its defense,” said Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen.

“This is a great example of the Finnish defense industry’s abilities, and it shows that our investments into ammunition production capacity are paying off,” he said. 

Finland, which borders Russia, has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine. In light of Russia launching the war in February 2022, the Nordic country joined NATO after decades of military non-alignment.

A US delegation met with newly inaugurated Pope Leo XIV on Monday as Washington ups diplomatic efforts to halt the war in Ukraine. 

The Vatican said there was “an exchange of views on some current international issues, calling for respect for humanitarian law and international law in areas of conflict and for a negotiated solution between the parties involved.”

Pope Leo had vowed “every effort” to help bring peace to Ukraine, while the Vatican offered to host any peace talks.

Vance spoke with some European leaders at Leo’s inaugural mass on Sunday, and with Zelenskyy about possible sanctions against Russia.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Zelenskyy that a batch of US-made Abrams tanks are “on their way” to Ukraine, according to public broadcaster ABC. 

On Sunday, Zelenskyy met Albanese in Rome, where the two discussed defense support for Ukraine. 

“I’m grateful for Australia’s comprehensive support, for the Abrams tanks that are helping our warriors defend Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said after their meeting. 

The delivery of the pledged tanks to Ukraine had been stalled due to reported US hesitation.  

In a separate report, ABC quoted unnamed US officials who were questioning whether the tanks were suitable for Ukraine’s needs. 

The US had already sent 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine which were later deemed too difficult to operate without detection or were coming under attack in drone warfare. 

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles on Monday said: “We’ve been working very closely with Ukraine, very closely with the United States, to see this shipment occur and to see the tanks be on their way.” 

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Sunday. 

The four are also planning to have a follow-up call with Trump “immediately” after he speaks with Putin on Monday, the German government said. 

A spokesperson for the British government said the leaders also discussed possible sanctions on Russia if Moscow does not “seriously agree” to a ceasefire and peace talks. 

Macron wrote on social media that Putin “must show he wants peace by accepting the 30-day unconditional ceasefire proposed by President Trump and backed by Ukraine and Europe.” The French president did not directly mention any talk of further sanctions on Russia. 

Trump had earlier said the call with Putin would include not only the war in Ukraine, but also trade.

This Monday we’re keeping an eye on the scheduled phone call between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, after direct talks between Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy failed to materialize. 

Trump’s vice president, JD Vance, is meeting with newly inaugurated Pope Leo XIV today. Ukraine is likely to be a topic on their agenda. 

DW will bring you the latest news, analysis and insight from our reporters and correspondents regarding Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.