President Donald Trump has said he will meet Vladimir Putin in Hungary in a bid to end the war, in a development likely to heap pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Mr Trump earlier posted on Truth Social that he was engaged in a lengthy phone call with Putin and would provide an update on what they discussed as soon as it was over, and afterwards hailed what he called a "very productive" conversation. Hours earlier Mr Zelensky appealed to Mr Trump to take a firm line, warning: "Putin has turned a deaf ear to everything the world says, so the only language that can still get through to him is the language of pressure."
The call came ahead of Mr Trump's meeting on Friday at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has been pressing Trump to sell Kyiv Tomahawk missiles that would allow Ukrainian forces to strike deeper into Russian territory. Mr Zelensky has argued that such strikes would help compel Putin to take Mr Trump's calls for direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to end the war more seriously. Mr Trump said Sunday: "Do they want to have Tomahawks going in that direction? I don't think so," Mr Trump said on Sunday. "I think I might speak to Russia about that."
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS LIVE BLOG: SCROLL DOWN FOR REGULAR UPDATES
You may also like
'Great for the game': Head expects Rohit, Virat to continue till 2027 ODI World Cup
Keir Starmer torn apart by GMB's Kate Garraway as she rages 'he has failed!'
Harvard's student paper backs lawsuit on free speech rights for international students
Hyderabad: Woman Discovers Hidden Camera in Washroom Light Bulb Holder
Sabarimala missing gold case: Court grants SIT custody of prime accused Potty