Trump to speak to Putin on Monday about Ukraine ceasefire proposal and business

Donald Trump has mentioned that he’ll talk to each Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy so as to forestall what he known as the “bloodbath” warfare in Ukraine, in a barrage of latest social media posts that incorporated baseless conspiracy theories and a requirement that Walmart now not carry costs for purchasers on account of price lists he has imposed.

Trump, posting on his Truth Social account on Saturday, wrote that he’ll talk to Putin on Monday morning. “THE SUBJECTS OF THE CALL WILL BE, STOPPING THE ‘BLOODBATH’ THAT IS KILLING, ON AVERAGE, MORE THAN 5000 RUSSIAN AND UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS A WEEK, AND TRADE,” Trump wrote, in his commonplace all-capitalized prose.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov showed to a state-run Russian information company that arrangements had been beneath manner for a choice between the USA and Russian presidents.

Trump’s name with the Russian president will probably be adopted by means of a separate dialog with Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s chief, and Nato leaders as a part of the USA effort to finish the warfare that has raged because the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. “HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE A PRODUCTIVE DAY, A CEASEFIRE WILL TAKE PLACE, AND THIS VERY VIOLENT WAR, A WAR THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED, WILL END,” Trump wrote.

Russia and Ukraine have simply concluded most commonly fruitless talks, the primary in their sort because the get started of the warfare, in Istanbul. Ukraine mentioned it was once in a position for a ceasefire however was once confronted by means of “unacceptable” calls for from Russia, which tried to totally invade its neighbor and has occupied the jap flank of the rustic.

It’s unclear what sort of development Trump will have the ability to spur, if any, within the peace procedure. The US president has been closely essential of Ukraine, freezing army support and having an notorious argument with Zelenskyy on the White House in complete view of the media, sooner than showing to melt after a face-to-face dialog on the funeral of Pope Francis within the Vatican.

Trump had introduced to trip to Turkey for the talks after his go back and forth to the Middle East final week if Putin would additionally attend, and advised Zelenskyy to move, however Putin despatched a staff of low-level negotiators as an alternative.

Trump’s ire with Ukraine’s president does now not appear to have abated, on the other hand, with the president telling Fox News on Friday he’s dissatisfied with what the rustic has accomplished with the help passed to it by means of the USA. “What bothered me, I hated to see the way it was, you know, excuse me, pissed away,” he mentioned.

“I think he’s the greatest salesman in the world. Far better than me,” Trump mentioned of the Ukrainian president. “Where is all this money going?”

In a social media put up of his personal, Zelenskyy mourned the loss of life of 9 civilians in “a Russian drone strike on an ordinary passenger bus”. He added: “Yesterday, as on any other day of this war, there was an opportunity to cease fire. Ukraine has long been offering this – a full and unconditional ceasefire in order to save lives. Russia retains nothing but the ability to continue killing.”

Marco Rubio, the USA secretary of state, reported on social media that he had spoken to his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, and informed him that “the death and destruction must stop”. Rubio added on X, previously Twitter, that the USA “has presented a strong peace plan and we welcome the Prisoner of War exchange agreement reached in Istanbul. Let’s not miss this huge opportunity. The time for ending this war is now.”

In a separate Truth Social put up on Saturday, Trump complained concerning the have an effect on of price lists he has imposed, after Walmart, amongst different shops, warned it’ll have to boost costs for Americans in reaction.

“Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain,” Trump posted, including that the corporate will have to “‘EAT THE TARIFFS,’ and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!!”

An additional put up from Trump featured a video of an evidence-free conspiracy principle that now not handiest implied that Bill and Hillary Clinton had been responsible of homicide but additionally that Seth Rich, a Democratic staffer, was once the supply of Clinton marketing campaign emails launched by means of WikiLeaks in 2016. (Special recommend Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian executive hackers for hacking the e-mail accounts of other people on the subject of Clinton in 2016 and turning in the hacked emails to WikiLeaks.) Rich was once murdered in 2016 and his loss of life provoked a slew of lies and wild conspiracy theories, fueled by means of Trump and different resources. Rich’s circle of relatives reached a confidential agreement with Fox News in 2020 over the peddling of those lies.