President Donald Trump's phone call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin did not achieve great strides on ending the war in Ukraine

The Kremlin has withstood pressure for an immediate cease-fire as a precondition for peace talks, but the Russian president’s push for normalizing relations with the United States appears in limbo.

Kyiv will not meet Vladimir Putin's request for Ukraine to withdraw troops from its four partially occupied regions, Volodymyr Zelensky has said. The Ukrainian leader said "it's our land," in a briefing to reporters on Monday,

President Trump said ceasefire negotiations would begin "immediately," but the Kremlin has expressed little eagerness for a ceasefire in the war it began.

President Donald Trump spoke with reporters in the Oval Office Monday about his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the day, telling the press, there are "very big egos involved,

That favours Russia. As his forces grind forward, Mr Putin insists that an agreement must be reached on the terms of a peace settlement before the guns fall silent. Ukraine, backed by European leaders, wants an immediate and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, followed by talks on a permanent settlement.

Trump and Russia’s Putin spoke as Ukraine and Europe push for a ceasefire. For context: Russia and Ukraine engaged in direct talks last week for the first time since the war began — but the negotiations were short-lived and resulted only in a prisoner swap.