President Donald Trump spoke with President Vladimir Putin and said Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire, but the Kremlin said reaching an agreement would take time and Mr Trump indicated he was not ready to join Europe with fresh sanctions to pressure Russia.

Before the talks even began, President Donald Trump predicted there would be no progress unless he and Russian President Vladimir Putin were involved.

As President Donald Trump prepares for crucial calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his administration faces ongoing talks to secure trade deals.

Putin said efforts to end the war were "generally on the right track" and that Moscow was ready to work with Ukraine on a potential peace deal.

Long-lasting peace and protection of rights of the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine must be the core result of Russia’s “special military operation”, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

Ukrainian President Vlodomyr Zelensky shared details on his meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Rome on Sunday.

Moscow: The Chairman of the Russian Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, Grigory Karasin, on Saturday (local time), described the recent negotiations on ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul as a significant milestone in resolving the ongoing crisis.

The strikes – and renewed offer from the Vatican – come hours after Moscow and Kyiv had held their first direct peace talks in years that failed to yield a ceasefire.