British Prime Minister Keir Starmer Photo: Tennessee Witney
US President Donald Trump has announced that he will have a telephone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Monday, 19 May. The main topic will be an end to the war in Ukraine and the resumption of trade.
The conversation is scheduled to take place at 10:00 a.m. Washington time (17:00 Kyiv time), after which Trump plans to have contacts with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO allies.
London, Paris, Berlin and Rome put pressure on Russia
On Sunday, 18 May, on the eve of the announced conversation, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held talks with the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and the United States. According to Reuters, the main topic was an unconditional ceasefire and the possibility of new sanctions if Russia’s demands are ignored.
“The leaders discussed the application of sanctions if Russia fails to seriously engage in ceasefire and peace talks,” the statement said.
Macron: “Putin must prove he wants peace”
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed his participation in the talks and made a public appeal to the Kremlin:
“Tomorrow, President Putin must show that he wants peace by accepting the 30-day unconditional ceasefire proposed by President Trump and supported by Ukraine and Europe,” Macron wrote on social media platform X.
earlier, Donald Trump repeatedly stated that he could stop the war in Ukraine “in 24 hours”. His plan has not yet been officially unveiled, but according to media reports, it involves a temporary truce, the launch of a new format of negotiations and the creation of trade guarantees.
Ukraine’s position on the terms of such a ceasefire has not yet been specified.
