Trump and Putin hold phone call but Kremlin refuses Ukraine ceasefire

The rare phone call between Putin and Trump was met with mixed signals: while Trump praised the outcome as excellent and highlighted Putin's willingness to draft a peace memorandum, Putin rejected an unconditional 30-day ceasefire Ukraine had proposed, citing significant barriers such as his demands for denazification. Trump later suggested a Vatican-led negotiation effort but hinted at backing off, contrary to his earlier claim of being ready to end the war swiftly. Ongoing diplomatic efforts by Europe and the US to pressure Russia have yet to yield progress, with Putin's demands seen as insurmountable barriers to achieving peace in Ukraine.