May 17 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump intends to call Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
"The subjects of the call will be stopping the 'bloodbath' that is killing, on average, more than 5,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week," Trump said in a Truth Social post made on Saturday.
Trade will be part of Trump's discussion with the Russian president.
"I will then be speaking to President Zelensky of Ukraine and then ... with various members of NATO," Trump said.
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Zelensky will participate in the calls with the respective leaders of NATO member nations.
"Hopefully, it will be a productive day," Trump said. "A cease-fire will take place, and this very violent war, a war that never should have happened, will end."
Trump has tried to end the war in Ukraine since he took office in January and has come close to getting the two sides to agree to a cease-fire, but nothing lasting has emerged.
Russian and Ukrainian representatives met on Friday in Istanbul and agreed to a prisoner exchange but are not close to agreeing to a cease-fire, NBC News reported.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday and welcomed the prisoner exchange agreement made on Friday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Saturday in a statement.
Rubio also "delivered President Trump's strong message: The United States is committed to achieving a lasting end to the Russia-Ukraine war," Bruce said.
"The comprehensive peace plan by the United States outlines the best way forward," Bruce added. "The secretary emphasized President Trump's call for an immediate cease-fire and an end to the violence."
Zelensky was in Rome on Saturday, where he met with Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter and thanked him for Switzerland's support of Ukraine and its ongoing peace efforts.
"We are also grateful for the humanitarian support provided by your government, especially for what matters most to us: shelters for our schools, for our children," Zelensky told Keller-Sutter.
Zelensky updated the Swiss president on peace negotiations in Istanbul and emphasized the importance of coordinating efforts with the United States, maintaining unity and pressuring Russia to agree to a "full and unconditional cease-fire."
