President Donald Trump held separate calls with Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday. Trump pledged to bring the war in Ukraine to an end, but has not made progress on bringing Zelensky and Putin to the table. 

Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov stated Putin initiated the call to Trump to congratulate the American President on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Ushakov said Trump expressed his “readiness to help achieve a quick cessation of hostilities and search for peaceful solutions to settle the crisis.”

The Russian official noted that Putin told Trump about the “real situation on the battlefield, where Russian armed forces are confidently advancing, liberating one settlement after another.”

Zelensky wrote on X that he called the President to thank America for its military support, adding the two leaders discussed bringing the war to an end. “President Trump and I discussed the current situation on the frontline as well as our diplomatic efforts. There is a real prospect to put an end to this war, and America’s resolve is decisive,” he wrote on X. “We have agreed to continue these discussions during the NATO Summit in Ankara.”

The calls came as the war continued to escalate. Russian forces are making slow gains by capturing territory. Ukraine has increased its attacks on Russian territory. Moscow has responded by ramping up missile strikes on Kiev. 

As a candidate, President Trump promised the American people he would bring the war to a quick end. However, he has failed to push Zelensky or Putin to make the concessions needed for a peace deal.