1) (Updated) Trump says Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks will begin immediately following call with Putin

Courtesy Barrie360.com and The Associated Press

By Zeke Miller, Josh Boak And Katie Marie Davies, May 19, 2025

Russia and Ukraine will “immediately” begin ceasefire negotiations, President Donald Trump said Monday after separate calls with the leaders of both countries meant to spur progress toward ending the three-year war. The conversations did not appear to yield a major breakthrough.

It was not clear when or where any talks might take place or who would participate. Trump’s announcement came days after the first direct engagement between Russian and Ukrainian delegations since 2022. Those negotiations on Friday in Turkey brought about a limited exchange of prisoners but no pause in the fighting.

Ahead of the calls, the White House said Trump had grown “frustrated” with both leaders over the continuing war. Vice President JD Vance said Trump would press Russian President Vladimir Putin to see if he was truly interested in stopping the fighting, and if not, that the U.S. could disengage from trying to stop the conflict. Trump later told reporters that he believed Putin was serious about wanting peace.

“The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of,” Trump said in a social media post.

Trump said the call with Putin was “excellent,” adding, “If it wasn’t, I would say so now, rather than later.”

Trump has struggled to end a war that began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022, a setback for his promises to quickly settle the conflict once he was back in the White House, if not before he took office.

“He’s grown weary and frustrated with both sides of the conflict,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday before the calls. “He has made it clear to both sides that he wants to see a peaceful resolution and ceasefire as soon as possible.”

The Republican president is banking on the idea that his force of personality and personal history with Putin will be enough to break any impasse over a pause in the fighting. He dangled the prospect of reduced sanctions and increased trade with Russia should the war end.

After the call, Putin said Russia was ready to continue discussing an end to the fighting after a “very informative and very frank” conversation with Trump. Putin said the warring countries should “find compromises that would suit all parties.”

Moscow, he said, will “propose and is ready to work with” Ukraine on a “memorandum” outlining the framework for “a possible future peace treaty.”

But indicating that little had fundamentally changed about his demands, Putin said: “At the same time, I would like to note that, in general, Russia’s position is clear. The main thing for us is to eliminate the root causes of this crisis.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that he reaffirmed to Trump that Ukraine is ready for a full and unconditional ceasefire. He urged the international community to maintain pressure on Moscow if it refuses to halt its invasion.

“Ukraine doesn’t need to be persuaded — our representatives are ready to make real decisions. What’s needed is mirrored readiness from Russia for such result-oriented negotiations.” Zelenskyy said.

Trump and Putin addressed each other by first names

Russian presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov, who previously served as Russian ambassador to the U.S., described the conversation as friendly, with Trump and Putin addressing each other by their first names.

“Trump said, ‘Vladimir, you can pick up the phone at any time, and I will be happy to answer and speak with you,’” he said.

Ushakov also said Trump and Putin could meet face-to-face at some point, but no timeline was set.

Putin and Trump also talked about a Russia-US prisoner exchange, which Ushakov said was “in the works” and envisioned Moscow and Washington releasing nine people each. Ushakov did not offer any other details.

Speaking before the call, Vance said Trump could walk away from trying to end the war if he feels Putin isn’t serious about negotiation.

“I’d say we’re more than open to walking away,” Vance told reporters before leaving Rome after meeting with Pope Leo XIV. Vance said Trump has been clear that the U.S. “is not going to spin its wheels here. We want to see outcomes.”

Zelenskyy, who spoke to Trump one-on-one before the Putin call and then jointly with European leaders after, told reporters that he emphasized to Trump that no decisions should be made about Ukraine without involving Kyiv. He also said that he discussed the potential for “serious sanctions” on Russia.

Trump said the Vatican expressed interest in hosting the negotiations, but there was no immediate confirmation that any talks had been scheduled.

Trump tries the carrot — and stick — with Putin

Trump sought to use financial incentives to broker some kind of agreement after Russia’s invasion led to severe sanctions by the United States and its allies that have steadily eroded Moscow’s ability to grow.

“Russia wants to do largescale TRADE with the United States when this catastrophic “bloodbath” is over, and I agree,” he said in a social media post. “There is a tremendous opportunity for Russia to create massive amounts of jobs and wealth. Its potential is UNLIMITED.”

Trump’s treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Trump had made it clear that a failure by Putin to negotiate “in good faith” could lead to additional sanctions against Russia.

Bessent suggested the sanctions that began during the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden were inadequate because they did not stop Russia’s oil revenues, due to concerns that doing so would increase U.S. prices. The United States sought to cap Russia’s oil revenues while preserving the country’s petroleum exports to limit the damage from the inflation that the war produced.

Trump and Zelenskyy spoke with leaders from France, Italy and Finland, as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who have threatened tougher sanctions on Russia in a bid to force Putin into negotiations.

No ceasefire but an exchange of prisoners

Putin recently rejected an offer by Zelenskyy to meet in-person in Turkey as an alternative to a 30-day ceasefire urged by Ukraine and its Western allies, including Washington. Instead, Russian and Ukrainian officials met in Istanbul for talks, the first such direct negotiations since March 2022.

Those talks ended Friday after less than two hours, without a ceasefire in place. But both countries committed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each, with Ukraine’s intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, saying on Ukrainian television Saturday that the exchanges could happen as early as this week.

While wrapping up his four-day trip to the Middle East, Trump said Friday that Putin had not gone to Turkey because Trump himself wasn’t there.

“He and I will meet, and I think we’ll solve it or maybe not,” Trump told reporters after boarding Air Force One. “At least we’ll know. And if we don’t solve it, it’ll be very interesting.”

___ Davies reported from Manchester, England. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in Washington; Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia; and Hanna Arhirova and Volodymyr Yurchuk in Kyiv, Ukraine contributed to this report.

2) Carney reaffirms Canadian support for Ukraine in first meeting with Zelenskyy

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Nick Murray, May 17, 2025.

Prime Minister Mark Carney reaffirmed Canada’s “steadfast and unwavering support” for Ukraine in his first meeting with the country’s president on Saturday in Rome.

His meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy was one of several sitdowns with world leaders taking place in the Italian capital, where Carney — a devout Catholic — has travelled to attend the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV. The Prime Minister is making a concerted effort to meet with other G7 leaders ahead of the global summit Canada is hosting in Kananaskis, Alta., next month.

During his meeting with Zelenskyy at Canada’s Official Residence to the Italian Republic, Carney said Canadian support for Ukraine extends to the president’s leadership. 

“We admire your commitment to peace, as you’ve demonstrated it again this week,” he said, referring to peace talks between the two sides in Turkey earlier this week. “There can be no peace without the full support and participation of Ukraine, and that you have our absolute support.”

Zelenskyy, dressed in all black with a short-sleeve collared shirt, thanked Carney for his words and immediately extended an invitation to visit Ukraine. 

Zelenskyy also offered some remarks on the recent peace talks, which he attended but Russian President Vladimir Putin did not.

“I think that it’s important when two sides want to finish the war. We really waited for (Russian Prime Minister Vladimir) Putin, and he didn’t come,” Zelenskyy said, adding Putin was “afraid of bilateral, just direct talks.”

Carney said he’s looking-forward to hosting Zelenskyy at the G7 meeting next month. 

The Prime Minister also met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at her official residence earlier in the day.

He was greeted with a red-carpet reception at Chigi Palace — a 16th century building which once hosted a concert performed by a teenage Mozart in 1770 — with a 50-member Italian honour guard standing in formation as a band played the Italian and Canadian national anthems.

Carney wrapped the day by meeting with European Union President Ursula von der Leyen, where the two leaders spoke of their partnership on areas of artificial intelligence, clean energy and minerals.

At one point, von der Leyen said Europeans know they need to step up with regards to NATO, at which point Carney motioned to cameras, pointed hands inward to his chest and appeared to mouth the words “us too.”

This weekend’s trip marks Carney’s first overseas visit since his win in last month’s federal election. 

He made a brief excursion to Europe in the interval between securing the Liberal party leadership and assuming the office of Prime Minister and the start of the election campaign. Carney did not attend the funeral of Leo’s predecessor Pope Francis, as it took place days before Canadians went to the polls. His presence at the new pontiff’s inaugural mass will mark his first official visit to the Vatican. 

A delegation of 13 Liberal MPs, who are Catholic or represent ridings with a large Catholic base, is also travelling with Carney.

Former cabinet minister Jean-Yves Duclos, Nova Scotia MP Jaime Battiste and Ottawa MPs Mona Fortier and Marie-France Lalonde are among those on the trip.

Senators Toni Varone and Tony Loffreda are also part of the Canadian delegation, as are Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak and Métis National Council President Victoria Pruden

3) (Updated) Russia-Ukraine peace talks end after less than 2 hours with deal to swap POWs but no ceasefire

Courtesy Barrie360.com and The Associated Press

By Hanna Arhirova, Andrew Wilks And Lorne Cook, May 16, 2025

The first direct Russia-Ukraine peace talks since the early weeks of Moscow’s 2022 invasion ended after less than two hours Friday, and while both sides agreed on a large prisoner swap, they clearly remained far apart on key conditions for ending the fighting.

One such condition for Ukraine, backed by its Western allies, is a temporary ceasefire as a first step toward a peaceful settlement. The Kremlin has pushed back against such a truce, which remains elusive.

“We haven’t received a Russian ‘yes’ on this basic point,” Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhii said after the talks. “If you want to have serious negotiations, you have to have guns silenced.”

But Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky pronounced himself “satisfied with the outcome,” adding that Moscow was ready to continue contacts.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he discussed the talks with U.S. President Donald Trump and the leaders of France, Germany, the U.K. and Poland. In a post on X from a European leadership meeting in Albania, he urged “tough sanctions” against Moscow if it rejects “a full and unconditional ceasefire and an end to killings.”

In Istanbul, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each, according to the heads of both delegations, in what would be their biggest such swap.

Both sides also discussed a ceasefire and a meeting between their heads of state, according to chief Ukrainian delegate, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

Medinsky, an aide to President Vladimir Putin, said both sides agreed to provide each other with detailed ceasefire proposals, with Ukraine requesting the heads of state meeting, which Russia took under consideration.

“The pressure on the Russian Federation must continue,” said Serhii Kyslytsia, Ukraine’s first deputy foreign minister and part of Kyiv’s delegation. “We should not really relax at this point.”

New, ‘unacceptable conditions’

During the talks, a senior Ukrainian official said Russia introduced new, “unacceptable demands” to withdraw Ukrainian forces from huge swaths of territory. The official, who was not authorized to make official statements, spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The proposal had not been previously discussed, the official said.

The Ukrainian side reiterated it was focused on achieving real progress — an immediate ceasefire and a pathway to substantive diplomacy — “just like the U.S., European partners, and other countries proposed,” the official added.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Tykhii confirmed the Russian delegation “voiced a number of things that we deem unacceptable,” but added: “This is something that Russians usually voice, and we were keeping to our line.”

The two sides sat opposite each other at a U-shaped table in the Dolmabahce Palace but remained far apart in their conditions for ending the war. Trump, who has pressed for an end to the conflict, said he would meet with Putin “as soon as we can set it up.”

“I think it’s time for us to just do it,” Trump told reporters in Abu Dhabi as he wrapped up a trip to the Middle East.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan opened the talks by urging participants “to take advantage of this opportunity,” adding it was “critically important that the ceasefire happens as soon as possible.”

In a social media post, Fidan called the POW swap as a “confidence-building measure” and said the parties had agreed in principle to meet again.

Zelenskyy seeks European unity

Zelenskyy was in Tirana, Albania, with leaders of 47 European countries to discuss security, defense and democratic standards against the backdrop of the war. He met with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

“Pressure on Russia must be maintained until Russia is ready to end the war,” Zelenskyy said on X, posting a photo of the leaders during the call, the second for the group since May 10.

Speaking to reporters after the call with Trump, Starmer said the Russian position “is clearly unacceptable.”

While he didn’t say what the Europeans’ response might involve, some of them pressed for new sanctions, with the European Union likely to adopt new measures as soon as Tuesday.

Macron said it was “unacceptable that, for a second time, Russia hasn’t responded to the demands made by the Americans, supported by Ukraine and the Europeans. No ceasefire, and therefore no meeting at a decision-making level. And no response.”

Merz said diplomatic efforts so far “have unfortunately failed because of Russia’s lack of readiness to take the first steps in the right direction now.”

“But we will not give up,” he added. All three said Kyiv and its allies in Europe will continue to coordinate their efforts.

Diplomatic maneuvering

Both countries engaged in diplomatic maneuvering this week as they tried to show Trump that they are eager to negotiate, although he expressed frustration with the slow progress and threatened to punish foot-dragging.

On Thursday, Putin spurned an offer by Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face in Turkey. Zelenskyy accused Moscow of not making a serious effort to end the war by sending a low-level delegation.

Ukraine has accepted a U.S. and European proposal for a full, 30-day ceasefire, but Putin has effectively rejected it by imposing far-reaching conditions.

Commenting on a possible Trump-Putin meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov appeared to indicate that momentum for such a summit is building. He told reporters that top-level talks were “certainly needed,” but added that preparing a summit would take time.

Fighting continues in Ukraine

Russia, meanwhile, is preparing a fresh military offensive, Ukrainian government and Western military analysts say.

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov was in Minsk to discuss joint military drills in September and deliveries of new weapons to Belarus. Zelenskyy has warned that the military buildup in Belarus, which borders NATO members Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, could serve as a cover for future attacks.

A Friday drone attack on the northeastern city of Kupiansk killed a 55-year-old woman and wounded four men, said Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration..

Russia’s invasion has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, the U.N. says, and razed towns and villages. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have died, and likely a larger number of Russian troops, officials and analysts say.

One Ukrainian soldier told AP he wasn’t hopeful about the talks.

“I don’t think they will agree on anything concrete, because summer is the best time for war,” said the soldier, who used the call sign “Corsair” in accordance with Ukrainian military rules. “The enemy is trying to constantly escalate the situation.”

But he said many of his comrades “believe that by the end of the year there will be peace, albeit an unstable one, but peace.”

Before the talks, Ukrainian officials met with national security advisers from the U.S., France, Germany and the U.K. to coordinate positions, the senior Ukrainian official told AP. The U.S. team was led by retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, while Umerov and presidential office chief Andriy Yermak represented Ukraine, the official said.

A three-way meeting between Turkey, the U.S. and Ukraine also took place, Turkish Foreign Ministry officials said. The U.S. side included Secretary of State Marco Rubio as well as Kellogg.

On Thursday, Rubio said he believed a breakthrough was only possible is a meeting between Trump and Putin.

___Cook reported from Brussels. Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Llazar Semini in Tirana, Albania, contributed.