Trump to talk to Putin on Monday, May 19

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he would be speaking by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday at 10:00 a.m. His statement came amid stalled peace talks in Istanbul on May 16, which ended without a breakthrough. Russia had renewed broad demands during the negotiations, including Ukraine adopting a neutral status, relinquishing its claims for war reparations, and recognizing the loss of Crimea and four other occupied regions — none of which are fully under Russian control.

Trump said the topics of his call with Putin would include efforts to stop what he described as a "bloodbath" that is resulting in the deaths of more than 5,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers per week, as well as matters of trade.

He added that following his conversation with Putin, he would speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and then join President Zelenskyy in speaking with various NATO leaders.

Trump expressed hope that the day would be productive, that a ceasefire would be established, and that the violent war — which he described as one that should never have happened — would come to an end. He concluded with a blessing for all.

1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange will likely take place next week

A major prisoner exchange involving approximately 1,000 prisoners of war from each side is expected to take place next week, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, who spoke on air on May 17 following an agreement reached in Istanbul.

Budanov stated that he hoped the swap would happen next week and said he did not see any major obstacles to the exchange.

His comments came one day after Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange during negotiations in Istanbul. Russia also confirmed the agreement, with Vladimir Medinsky, head of Moscow’s delegation, telling Russian state media that preparations for the swap were in progress. Deputy Intelligence Chief Vadym Skybytskyi added that both countries had begun compiling the final lists of prisoners to be exchanged.

Prisoner swaps remain one of the few areas where Ukraine and Russia continue to cooperate amid the ongoing conflict. The most recent exchange occurred on May 6, during which 205 Ukrainian soldiers were returned in a one-for-one format.

Ukraine has consistently pushed for an "all-for-all" exchange formula, although Russia has thus far rejected this approach. Kyiv has not publicly revealed the total number of Ukrainian POWs believed to be in Russian custody.

This week, Ukraine’s delegation traveled to Istanbul for Russian-initiated peace talks. However, President Volodymyr Zelensky later criticized Moscow for sending what he described as a “sham delegation.” Russian President Vladimir Putin did not attend the talks himself and instead appointed his aide, Vladimir Medinsky, to lead the Russian negotiating team.

Russian drone strike hit a civilian van in Sumy, 9 killed and 7 injured

Russia launched a drone strike in Sumy Oblast in the early morning of May 17, killing nine people and injuring seven more.

The drone targeted a shuttle van transporting civilians near the city of Bilopillia at 6:17 a.m. local time, according to the Sumy Regional Military Administration’s report on Telegram.

Sumy Oblast, located in northeastern Ukraine, borders Russia’s Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk oblasts.

Yurii Zarko, head of Bilopillia, described the day as “a black Saturday” in the city’s history and declared three days of mourning from May 17 to 19. He told Suspilne that the bus had been carrying people out of the city for evacuation. Zarko said the wounded were treated at the scene before being transferred to a hospital in Sumy. He added that authorities were still in the process of retrieving bodies and identifying victims, noting that most of the deceased were elderly women, along with two or three men.

Emergency services and police were working at the scene. In a statement later on May 17, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that all nine victims were civilians and noted that a family was among those killed. He also called for stronger international pressure on Russia in the wake of failed peace talks in Istanbul earlier in the week.

Zelensky said there had been a chance to halt the violence the previous day, as on any day of the war, and reiterated that Ukraine had long proposed a full and unconditional ceasefire to preserve lives. He asserted that Russia maintained only one priority: the ability to continue killing.

Kyiv and its allies had proposed an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting May 12 as an initial step toward peace — a proposal that Russia had thus far ignored.

Residents of Sumy Oblast regularly endure multiple daily attacks. Border areas are frequently struck by artillery and glide bombs, while the regional capital of Sumy is targeted by missiles and drones.

In recent weeks, Russia has also begun deploying small assault groups into the region in an apparent effort to expand the front line.

Zelensky said preliminary information indicated that one of the victims was a family consisting of a father, mother, and daughter. He emphasized that Russian forces could not have been unaware of the nature of the vehicle they were targeting. He also reported that seven people remained hospitalized with burns, fractures, and concussions, but were receiving appropriate medical treatment.