CNN halts for breaking news as Trump issues three-word demand to Putin after two-hour call

 

Trump Presses Putin to "End the Bloodbath" in Two-Hour Call, Sparking Ceasefire Hopes

In a high-stakes phone call on Monday, former President Donald Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to "end the bloodbath" in Ukraine—a dramatic appeal during a two-hour conversation that has revived cautious optimism for a possible ceasefire.

The call, which took place as Russia intensified its military assault on Ukraine, was described by Russian state outlet TASS as “frank and substantive.” CNN interrupted regular programming to report on the breaking development. According to reports, Trump pushed for an immediate halt to the violence, while Putin countered with calls for a resolution that would require “acceptable” compromises from all parties involved, signaling the potential for continued conflict.

Russian sources indicated that Putin “reiterated Russia’s commitment to a peaceful resolution of the crisis,” emphasizing the need to “determine the most effective ways of moving toward peace.” While an official readout from Trump is expected, he posted shortly after the call that the discussion had gone “very well,” adding, “Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the war.”

Senator J.D. Vance, commenting ahead of the conversation, suggested Trump would challenge Putin directly. “I think the president’s going to say to President Putin: ‘Look, are you serious? Are you real about this?’” Vance remarked, noting that the Russian leader “does not seem to know how to withdraw.”

Despite the diplomatic overtures, reports from Bloomberg indicated the Kremlin remains focused on securing full control of the contested Ukrainian regions of Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia. Meanwhile, Ukraine's air force confirmed that Russia had launched 112 drones overnight, continuing its relentless air campaign.

In a separate development, the 47th President scored a political victory on Monday, May 19, as the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for his administration to end temporary deportation protections for Venezuelan nationals. This follows a prior court decision supporting a group of Venezuelans who argued against removal under wartime legal provisions.