Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
LAST UPDATE | 17 May
US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump said he plans to speak by phone on Monday to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, followed by Ukraine’s president and Nato allies, about ending what he called a “bloodbath”.
“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 wrote in a post on his social networking site, Truth Social.
His remarks came less than a day after the first direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv in years failed to yield a ceasefire.
Putin spurned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s offer to meet face-to-face in Turkey after he himself proposed negotiations in Istanbul “without preconditions” as an alternative to the “full and unconditional” ceasefire urged by Ukraine and its Western allies, including the US.
Trump’s plans come as nine people were killed this morning when a Russian drone struck a civilian minibus in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, according to the local military administration.
“Unfortunately, as a result of a cynical attack by Russians on a bus with civilians, there are dead,” the administration said in a post on Telegram.
A later update confirmed that the death toll had risen: “Unfortunately, the death toll has risen to nine.”
The post included a photo showing a mangled blue minibus, apparently torn apart by the blast.
Four people were also wounded in the attack, officials said.
Earlier, the authorities had reported eight deaths.
The attack took place near the city of Bilopillya as the bus was traveling toward Sumy. The local administration said it was “targeted by the Russians.”
A day of mourning was declared in Bilopillya by local authorities following the attack.
The strike occurred just hours after Russia and Ukraine concluded their first direct talks in nearly three years, held in Istanbul on Friday. However, the talks ended without a major breakthrough.
Both sides agreed to a large-scale prisoner exchange but did not reach a ceasefire. Instead, they committed to continuing discussions on a potential truce.
After the talks, Kyiv reiterated its push for an “unconditional ceasefire” to pause the conflict, which has devastated much of Ukraine and displaced millions.
Moscow, however, has consistently rejected such demands. So far, the only concrete result from the negotiations appears to be an agreement to exchange 1,000 prisoners from each side.
Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, said the “next step” should be a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Additionally, both Moscow and Washington have emphasized the need for a meeting between Putin and US President Donald Trump to discuss the conflict.
Additional reporting by Andrew Walsh
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say