US President Trump plans to speak to Kremlin chief Putin again today.

Immediately before US President Donald Trump's scheduled phone call with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, Germany, the US, and other allies of Ukraine increased pressure on Russia. The heads of state and government of Great Britain, the US, Germany, France, and Italy "also discussed the use of sanctions (...) if Russia does not seriously engage in a ceasefire and peace talks," a British government spokeswoman said last night.

According to the British news agency PA, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni participated in the conversation. Trump plans to speak with Putin again today (10:00 a.m. local time; 4:00 p.m. CEST) to discuss a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine, which has been raging for more than three years. The US president has declared the goal of ending Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine as quickly as possible.

After the conversation on Sunday evening on Platform X, Macron wrote that Putin must now demonstrate his desire for peace by accepting the 30-day unconditional ceasefire proposed by Trump and supported by Ukraine and Europe. The British government spokeswoman further stated that, in light of the Trump-Putin conversation, Ukraine's allies had discussed the need for the Kremlin chief to take the peace talks seriously.

Trump said he also plans to address trade issues during his talks with Putin. He will then speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and representatives of NATO member states. Ukraine is defending itself against the invasion with Western support, but has recently come under pressure – partly because the US administration under Trump significantly reduced its military aid to Kyiv.

Under Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, there was largely radio silence between Washington and Moscow for an extended period. The Republican is now increasingly seeking direct communication. Since taking office in January, Trump has already spoken with Putin twice by phone – most recently in mid-March.

Putin has shown little willingness to accommodate the US efforts; the only concession so far has been the dispatch of a low-ranking delegation to negotiate with a Ukrainian mission in Istanbul. The only concrete outcome of this Turkish-mediated meeting on Friday was an agreement for an imminent exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war each. No specific date was given for this.

On Sunday, European and American politicians had already exchanged views with each other and with Zelensky to explore possible opportunities for a swift end to the bloodshed. On the sidelines of the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke with Zelensky and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Prior to that, he met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Following an audience with Pope Leo XIV, Zelenskyy met with US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During their meeting, he informed the Americans of the "unrealistic conditions" put forward by the Russian delegation at the peace talks in Istanbul, the Ukrainian leader reported on Platform X.

"I reiterated Ukraine's commitment to genuine diplomacy and emphasized the importance of a complete and unconditional ceasefire," Zelensky wrote. The meeting with Vance and Rubio also discussed the need for new sanctions against Russia and the situation in the combat zones. "Pressure is needed against Russia until they are ready to end the war," Zelensky emphasized. "And, of course, we discussed joint steps toward a just and lasting peace."

In eastern Ukraine, Russian and Ukrainian troops continued their fierce fighting. By the evening, there had been approximately 70 attacks by Russian units, according to the General Staff in Kyiv in its situation report. According to these figures, Russian units launched 25 assaults around the Pokrovsk hotspot alone, on the edge of the Donetsk region.

Several Russian attacks were also reported from the area around Novopavlivka. Russian reports of new territorial gains in these areas have not been confirmed by either the Ukrainian side or any independent source.