President Trump said the Russian leader Vladimir Putin had warned that he would retaliate for a covert Ukrainian attack in Russia last weekend that destroyed dozens of Russian bombers.
In an Oval Office meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, President Trump likened the war between Russia and Ukraine to a fight between two children who hate each other.
NPR visits a hospital in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, in a town where many residents have fled but some young couples are holding on and hoping to raise their children one day in peace.
Ukraine and Russia have begun the exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war, the largest such swap since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
President Trump is working the phones on Monday, holding calls with the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and other European countries as he continues efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.
President Trump said he plans to speak by phone with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, followed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders of NATO countries, about ending the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Turkey for direct talks with Russia. But the Kremlin sent a lower-level delegation that doesn't include President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine and European allies had demanded Russia accept a 30-day ceasefire starting Monday before holding talks, but Moscow effectively rejected the proposal and called for direct negotiations instead.
Russia declared a three-day ceasefire in Ukraine starting May 8 for the anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany. Ukraine called for an immediate, 30-day truce instead.