Trump interrupted his talks in Washington with European leaders to call Putin, an EU diplomat told Reuters. Zelenskiy posted that today marked "a demonstration of genuine unity between Europe and the United States.

Trump didn’t end the fighting in Ukraine, but he picked up some praise from Putin about the Republican’s own domestic political fights.

For more than a decade, the industrial heartland of eastern Ukraine has been the focal point of intense battles and diplomatic disputes between Kyiv and the Kremlin. Now it could be on the table in peace talks with the United States.

Ahead of his meeting with European leaders Monday, Trump put pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to end the invasion of his own country by handing over seized territory and dropping his dreams of belonging to the powerful military alliance.

In a day of diplomatic maneuvers, Europeans argued that Kyiv should not yield key cities, and Trump designated Rubio to draft security guarantees.

As Trump and the leaders of European countries finished their family photo, the group was preparing to begin the summit in earnest.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised President Trump during a White House meeting on Monday for "breaking the deadlock" of the Ukraine War by starting a dialogue with Russia. "I really want to thank you,

In a letter posted online by President Trump, the first lady wrote to Russia’s leader of the “duty” to safeguard children, but didn’t mention Ukraine.