KYIV, May 18: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with US officials and European leaders in Rome ahead of a high-stakes phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on ending the war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy spoke with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the US ambassador’s residence. Trump plans to speak by phone with Putin and then with Zelenskyy and NATO leaders. Russia launched its largest drone barrage against Ukraine since the full-scale invasion in 2022, and both sides agreed on exchanging 1,000 prisoners of war each.
Merz has agreed with France and Britain’s leaders to speak with the American president in preparation for a future conversation. Both Europeans and Americans are determined to work together in a goal-oriented manner to ensure the end of the war soon.
Trump plans to meet with Putin on Monday and then with Zelenskyy and NATO leaders to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. Russia launched its largest drone barrage against Ukraine since 2022, with Putin spurning Zelenskyy’s offer to meet face-to-face in Turkey.
Talks in Istanbul broke up after less than two hours without a ceasefire, but both sides agreed on exchanging 1,000 prisoners of war each. Ukraine’s intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, suggested an exchange could occur next week. Russia fired 273 exploding drones and decoys, targeting Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk regions. The barrage was the largest known single drone attack since the start of the invasion. (AP)
