Trump Interrupts White House Talks With European Leaders to Call Putin on Ukraine Peace Efforts

U.S. President Donald Trump briefly stepped out of a high-level White House meeting with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to call Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine peace process, a diplomatic source told AFP.

The meeting included UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Olaf Scholz, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Finland’s Petteri Orpo, EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

While details of the call remain unclear, analysts say the move underscores Moscow’s central role in shaping the conflict and signals Trump’s readiness to bypass traditional diplomatic channels.

The talks form part of renewed international efforts to secure a truce ahead of Ukraine’s elections, though disagreements persist over Kyiv’s security guarantees and Russian-occupied territories.

Neither Washington nor Moscow has commented officially on the call.