Axios

President Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and seven European leaders were gathered in the White House, two sources familiar with the call tell Axios

Why it matters: Trump said earlier Monday that Putin was expecting a call from him after the talks concluded. Trump said he hoped to quickly arrange a trilateral summit involving both Putin and Zelensky, but Putin has yet to agree to that idea.

President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took questions at the White House on Monday in the same setting as their disastrous blowup in February, but with a much friendlier tone.

Why it matters: While it was all smiles for the camera, it was a tense few days in the lead-up to Monday's meeting, with Trump questioning Zelensky's willingness to make peace and Ukrainian officials worrying that Russian President Vladimir Putin manipulated Trump during their summit in Alaska.

President Trump on Monday pledged to end mail-in voting, calling it a "fraud," and said he would sign an executive order "to help bring HONESTY to the 2026 Midterm Elections."

Why it matters: While he shifted his tune before the 2024 election to promote absentee voting, Trump has long railed against mail-in voting — and he's back to singing that song. In harmony with him, Trump recently claimed on Fox News, is Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Hamas has accepted an updated proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza presented by the Qatari and Egyptian mediators, two sources with knowledge of the talks tell Axios.

Why it matters: This is part of a last-ditch effort to reach a deal and avoid a major new Israeli offensive to occupy Gaza City. A diplomatic source said the deal Hamas accepted is "98% similar" to the last U.S.-backed proposal. Israel agreed to that proposal, but talks broke down when Hamas did not.

After Zelensky's last meeting with the White House — which ended abruptly — both President Trump and Vice President JD Vance accused the Ukrainian president of disrespect.

Why it matters: Nearly six months of the Russia-Ukraine war have passed since that meeting, with Trump and Zelensky disagreeing on key points of the peace negotiations ahead of their meeting later today.

As Russia's war in Ukraine rages on, President Volodymyr Zelensky is seeking lasting peace — but Trump administration officials have stressed no agreement is possible without concessions from both sides.

The big picture: Just a weekend separates President Trump's fruitless summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Monday's high-stakes White House meeting with Zelensky and his European allies. But in just days, the tides have shifted.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was all over TV on Sunday with a consistent message: Don't expect new U.S energy sanctions against Russia anytime soon, but never say never.

Why it matters: Fresh penalties could raise oil prices while putting new pressure on Russia's massive fossil fuel export revenue.

The White House asked Ukrainian officials if President Volodymyr Zelensky will wear a suit to his meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office on Monday, two sources with direct knowledge tell Axios.

Why it matters: Zelensky's outfit became an issue ahead of his previous Oval Office meeting with Trump in March, which exploded into a diplomatic fiasco.

Forget about a ceasefire right now. President Trump's sole short-term goal for his Russia-Ukraine diplomacy, advisers say, is to get the countries' leaders face-to-face to talk peace.

• "Everything else is foreplay," a Trump adviser tells Axios. "Everything is to get to that moment for peace."

Why it matters: Trump was heavily criticized for abruptly abandoning his demand for a ceasefire from Russian President Vladimir Putin during their Alaska summit on Friday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced late Sunday he's arrived in Washington, D.C., on the eve of his key White House meeting, as President Trump pushes to an end of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The big picture: Zelensky made clear in his posts to social media ahead of the meeting that other European leaders will also attend that while they "all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably," he won't cede territory to Russia.

President Trump on Sunday shared a "peace letter" from first lady Melania Trump that Fox News Digital first reported he had "hand-delivered" to Russian leader Vladimir Putin during their summit in Alaska last week.

Why it matters: Kyiv has accused Putin's forces of committing genocide by forcibly moving an estimated 20,000-35,000 Ukrainian children to Russia or Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine since February 2022.