Trump speaks with Putin and Zelensky in bid to restart Russia Ukraine peace talks before NATO summit

US President Donald Trump is making another push to bring Russia and Ukraine back to the negotiating table.

According to sources, Trump has held separate conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an effort to restart peace talks that have made little progress in recent months. He has also offered to help broker a settlement between the two sides before NATO leaders gather for a summit in Turkey.

The renewed diplomatic effort comes as the war continues with no clear path to a lasting ceasefire. Despite several rounds of negotiations since the conflict began, both Russia and Ukraine remain divided on key issues including territory, security guarantees and the conditions for ending the war.

Trump offers to help broker a Russia-Ukraine peace deal

Sources say Trump’s calls with Putin and Zelensky were aimed at breaking the current deadlock in negotiations.

The US President reportedly expressed his willingness to help facilitate discussions between the two leaders and support efforts to reach a political settlement. While no details of the conversations have been released, the outreach suggests Washington is exploring another attempt to bring both sides back into direct dialogue. Peace efforts have repeatedly faced setbacks as fighting has continued on the battlefield. Previous negotiations have struggled to produce lasting results, with both governments maintaining firm positions on their core demands.

NATO summit in Turkey adds urgency to diplomacy

The timing of Trump’s outreach is significant because it comes ahead of the upcoming NATO summit in Turkey.

The gathering is expected to bring together leaders from across the alliance to discuss regional security, military cooperation and the continuing war in Ukraine. Any progress toward renewed negotiations before the summit could become a major topic of discussion among allied governments. Diplomatic activity often increases before high-level international meetings, as leaders look for opportunities to reduce tensions or create momentum for future talks.

Can Russia-Ukraine peace talks move forward?

Although Trump’s latest initiative signals renewed diplomatic engagement, significant obstacles remain.

Ukraine has consistently said any settlement must protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, while Russia has maintained its own conditions for ending the conflict. Those differences have prevented previous peace efforts from producing a comprehensive agreement.

Even so, direct communication between key leaders is often viewed as an important first step in restarting negotiations. Whether Trump’s outreach leads to formal talks or simply opens another channel for dialogue will become clearer as world leaders prepare to meet at the NATO summit in Turkey. The coming days could determine whether this diplomatic push develops into meaningful negotiations or joins the long list of peace efforts that failed to gain traction.