Trump announces he will talk next week with Putin about the war in Ukraine

President Donald Trump said he will speak Monday with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, before meeting with Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelensky and leaders of NATO countries.

The Republican detailed that it will be a phone call.

"The subjects of the call will be, stopping the 'bloodbath,'" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday.

Trump's announcement came a day after direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, the first since 2022.

Trump expressed his hope that "a ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war, a war that should have never happened, will end."

Meeting Friday in Istanbul, Russian and Ukrainian representatives agreed to a major prisoner exchange, "1,000 for 1,000," according to Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky.

Meanwhile, it also emerged that at the talks, Russian negotiators demanded that Kiev withdraw its troops from the four Ukrainian regions annexed by Moscow during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a Ukrainian official told AFP, calling this demand "unacceptable."

The Kremlin said it was "satisfied" with the first peace negotiations since 2022 with Ukraine and says it is "ready to continue contacts."