Michael Barbaro

And something that's ominous for Vladimir Putin is on the same day he sees Zelensky at the Vatican, he again complains about Russian missile strikes into civilian areas of Ukraine and says that these attacks make him wonder whether Putin actually doesn't want to stop the war and that he's just, as Trump says it in kind of an odd terminology, just tapping me along.

And at this point, Trump decides he needs to talk to Putin. And he arranges a call with the Russian leader. And all these weeks of gamesmanship, maneuvering, and roiling frustration seems to be culminating in this one essential conversation. And to hear Trump tell it, this call with Vladimir Putin could determine whether he is willing to continue trying to mediate an end to this war.

And at this point, Trump decides he needs to talk to Putin. And he arranges a call with the Russian leader. And all these weeks of gamesmanship, maneuvering, and roiling frustration seems to be culminating in this one essential conversation. And to hear Trump tell it, this call with Vladimir Putin could determine whether he is willing to continue trying to mediate an end to this war.

So, 10 a.m. comes on Monday for this highly anticipated call, and the two leaders are treating it very differently. For Trump, there's been all this fanfare and buildup on social media and his comments to reporters and comments from other administration officials. And he does the call from the White House Putin does the call from a school on the Sochi coast. He's not even at the Kremlin.

So, 10 a.m. comes on Monday for this highly anticipated call, and the two leaders are treating it very differently. For Trump, there's been all this fanfare and buildup on social media and his comments to reporters and comments from other administration officials. And he does the call from the White House Putin does the call from a school on the Sochi coast. He's not even at the Kremlin.

He's not even in Moscow.

He's not even in Moscow.

He didn't announce it. And he seems to be kind of squeezing it into his schedule. For Putin, this is not the defining event of the week. And I think that symbolizes the mismatch in... expectations, or really a mismatch in substance. And you saw that in the way both men described this call after the fact.

He didn't announce it. And he seems to be kind of squeezing it into his schedule. For Putin, this is not the defining event of the week. And I think that symbolizes the mismatch in... expectations, or really a mismatch in substance. And you saw that in the way both men described this call after the fact.

You know, Putin said it was informative and open, and that he told Trump he would work on what he called a memorandum for future peace talks. But He didn't agree to a ceasefire of any kind. He didn't make any new concessions. He certainly didn't present the call as some breakthrough or new stage of the process. Well, thank you very much, everybody.

You know, Putin said it was informative and open, and that he told Trump he would work on what he called a memorandum for future peace talks. But He didn't agree to a ceasefire of any kind. He didn't make any new concessions. He certainly didn't present the call as some breakthrough or new stage of the process. Well, thank you very much, everybody.

Trump's version was a bit more upbeat, and he did tell journalists afterward that he is still hopeful for a deal.

Trump's version was a bit more upbeat, and he did tell journalists afterward that he is still hopeful for a deal.

But he clearly puts the onus on Putin.

But he clearly puts the onus on Putin.

It's a bloodbath. Trump was blaming Putin again for how long this has gone on. And, you know, he straight up asks Putin, when is this war going to end? He's clearly frustrated or maybe disappointed that Putin has not changed his position. It's not particularly angry or threatening.

It's a bloodbath. Trump was blaming Putin again for how long this has gone on. And, you know, he straight up asks Putin, when is this war going to end? He's clearly frustrated or maybe disappointed that Putin has not changed his position. It's not particularly angry or threatening.

It seems that he's reaching a point where he's ready to just wash his hands of both of them.

It seems that he's reaching a point where he's ready to just wash his hands of both of them.

You know, he says that maybe others could help out, but that it just might not be worth it to try to make this deal.