President Donald Trump is hoping separate phone calls with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will make progress toward a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday to discuss peace talk negotiations held with Russia as the Trump administration

The Associated Press reported that Zelenskyy met U.S. Vice President JD Vance and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the U.S. ambassador’s residence while in Rome. He also met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their first direct peace talks in three years, but hopes for a breakthrough are still dim after Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face in Turkey.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet him in Turkey this week to begin negotiations to end the three-year war between their countries. But he