US President Donald Trump has confirmed he will today speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the end of the war in Ukraine.
The meeting comes as European leaders demanded that the Kremlin accept an immediate ceasefire.
The two presidents will discuss at 2pm today, with the Kremlin confirming preparations for a call are already underway.
Trump wrote on Truth Social: "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 will speak with Putin at 2pm on May 19
Reuters"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."
Trump confirmed he will also speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and various members of Nato.
The Trump administration stated that Russia could face additional sanctions if it does not take the peace talks seriously.
The talks follow Russia's huge drone attack on May 17 and 18, with 273 exploding drones hitting Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk.
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Aftermath of the Russian drone attack outside Kyiv ReutersUkraine's air force said 88 were intercepted, and 128 were "lost", having been electronically jammed.
It marks the largest drone attack on Ukraine since the start of the war.
The full death toll remains unknown; however, casualties are expected to be low.
In Kyiv, a 28-year-old woman was killed, and three people, including a four-year-old child, were injured, according to regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk.
Vladimir Putin said a ceasefire cannot be confirmed unless a number of conditions are met
ReutersOn Sunday, Sir Keir Starmer discussed Russia's war against Ukraine with leaders of the United States, France, Italy, and Germany, a Downing Street spokesman confirmed.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on X after Sunday's call: "Tomorrow, President Putin must show he wants peace by accepting the 30-day unconditional ceasefire proposed by President Trump and backed by Ukraine and Europe."
Putin stated that the fighting cannot be halted unless a number of conditions have been confirmed.
The war in Ukraine has been raging on since February 2022, when Putin sent thousands of troops across the border.
