Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Credit: AP
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke for more than an hour as the United States looks to get Russia's approval for a Ukraine ceasefire deal.
The White House and Kremlin didn't offer any immediate details about the substance of the conversation, but both have confirmed the call has ended.
Trump said before the call that he expected to discuss with Putin the land and power plants that have been seized during the three-year war that followed Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking on Monday ahead of the call, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wouldn’t get into details about the scheduled conversation, but she sounded optimistic that the talks can help push Russia closer to a deal.
## Trump pleads with Putin to spare lives of 'vulnerable' Ukrainian troops## What could the US-proposed ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine look like?
"We’ve never been closer to a peace deal than we are in this moment and the president, as you know, is determined to get one done," she said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week his country would accept a 30-day ceasefire proposal, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said “the ball is in Russia’s court now”.
Putin meanwhile has resisted a US-backed proposal, and instead set out his own conditions for a truce.
What could Putin demand as part of a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire deal? Cari Davies explains.
Despite the optimism coming out of the US, Ukraine and Europe have sounded much more pessimistic in recent days.
On Monday evening, Zelenskyy posted on X that it had been one week since the US proposed the ceasefire and it is now "clear to everyone in the world - even to those who refused to acknowledge the truth for the past three years - that it is Putin who continues to drag out this war."
"For a week now, Putin has been unable to squeeze out ‘yes’ to the ceasefire proposal. He’s saying whatever he wants, but not what the whole world wants to hear."
European leaders have also noted Putin's lukewarm response to the ceasefire proposal and reacted with pessimism at the idea Russia may pause its fighting.
Putin himself has said in recent days the battle in the Russian region of Kursk, which Ukraine invaded seven months ago, is almost over.
Tensions have been high between Zelenskyy, Putin and Trump since the new US president was installed in January, including the American and Ukrainian leaders having a heated, televised exchange in late February, Zelenskyy describing Putin's ceasefire comments as "manipulative" and Trump seeming to change his tone towards Russia when he pleaded with Putin to spare the lives of "vulnerable" Ukrainian troops.
From Westminster to Washington DC - our political experts are across all the latest key talking points. Listen to the latest episode below...