EU leaders rush to sway Trump before he speaks privately with Putin

European leaders are scrambling to speak directly with President Trump ahead of his one-on-one call with Vladimir Putin, a call the White House says will take place this week.

This is the first publicly confirmed conversation between the two men in nearly three months, and it’s happening at a critical point in the stalled efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

According to the Financial Times, Trump’s aides believe this call could define the US position in the next phase of peace talks. Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz, and Keir Starmer have already scheduled a joint call with Trump on Monday—their second since Friday—in an attempt to influence the president’s strategy before the Kremlin conversation.

Merz, the German Chancellor, said, “We can only hope that there will be further progress,” after stressing that both Washington and Europe were working “purposefully” to bring the war to an end. But European leaders still fear Trump might make a solo move that cuts Ukraine out of the picture entirely.

Trump plans call, Putin resists, Zelenskyy meets US officials

Putin has refused to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy face-to-face despite suggesting earlier that talks could happen. Last week, the Russian president rejected a meeting in Turkey, offering no reason. Over the past ten days, he’s declined to engage with any terms he didn’t set himself.

Even as US officials grew frustrated, Trump’s team avoided blaming the Kremlin. Instead, the president said on Friday, “I always felt a peace deal was not possible without me,” justifying why he personally arranged the call with Putin.

Once the Trump–Putin call ends, the president is expected to speak to Zelenskyy directly. In the meantime, Zelenskyy traveled to Rome on Sunday to meet with Vice President JD Vance. It was their first meeting since their public confrontation in Washington back in February.

This time, things were calmer. “It was a good meeting,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also present.

The meeting in Rome focused heavily on the failed negotiations in Istanbul, where Zelenskyy said Russia “sent a low-level delegation with no decision-making authority.” He added, “I reaffirmed Ukraine’s readiness for real diplomacy and stressed the importance of a full and unconditional ceasefire as soon as possible.”

Lavrov drafts terms, Europe prepares for fallout

Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Minister, told Rubio on Saturday that Moscow is drafting a document that will outline what it wants in exchange for a ceasefire. Rubio said in an interview with CBS, “We don’t want to be involved in this process of just endless talks. 

There has to be some progress, some movement forward.” He made it clear that continued US engagement depends on whether both sides show real willingness to compromise. “If a document is agreed in the next few days… we can feel good about continuing to remain engaged,” he said. “If not, perhaps we’ll have a different assessment.”

Back in Kyiv, there’s concern that if Trump’s administration walks away from the process, US military support could be pulled or cut down, giving Russia more ground. Ukraine has relied on coordinated support from Europe and the US, and any gap could be dangerous. That’s why Zelenskyy joined Friday’s call with Trump and the European leaders. He’s staying close to the action—every single step.

In another meeting held in Rome on Sunday, Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, said this week would be “crucial” for making progress toward peace. She didn’t give specifics but emphasized that there’s little time left before talks collapse again.

While diplomats are talking, Russia is moving forward on the battlefield. Over the weekend, Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched 273 drones and decoys—the most extensive drone attack since the war began. Ukrainian defense units described it as a deliberate attempt to exhaust air defenses before peace talks pick up.