LONDON — President Donald Trump voiced his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday as Russian attacks on Ukraine persisted. This comes despite ongoing efforts by the White House to negotiate a peace agreement between the two nations.

During an event in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters, "Every conversation I have with him is a good conversation. And then unfortunately, a bomb is loaded up into Kyiv or someplace, and then I get very angry about it." He has consistently criticized Putin for the nightly strikes on Ukrainian cities.

Despite the ongoing violence, Trump remains optimistic about reaching a peace deal. "I think we're going to get the war done," he stated, while acknowledging the unpredictability of war. He added, "Strange things happen in war. The fact that [Putin] went to Alaska, our country, I think, was a big statement that he wants to get it done."

Both Russia and Ukraine continued their long-range strikes over the weekend and into Monday. On Tuesday, Ukraine's air force reported that Russia launched 59 drones overnight, with 47 being shot down or suppressed. The air force confirmed impacts from 12 drones across nine locations. In response, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its forces downed at least 51 Ukrainian drones, including two aimed at Moscow.

Following recent meetings with Putin in Alaska and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington, Trump hinted at the possibility of a bilateral meeting between the two leaders. Zelenskyy has shown willingness to meet, but Putin's team has not committed to the proposal. "Maybe they will, maybe they won't," Trump said regarding the potential meeting.

Trump mentioned he had spoken with Putin since Zelenskyy's visit but did not disclose details of their conversation. When asked about actions he might take if the meeting does not occur, Trump refrained from providing specifics but indicated he may act "over the next week or two."

U.S. peace efforts continued on Monday, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio engaging with European counterparts. Trump's envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, traveled to Kyiv to meet with Zelenskyy. A key topic of discussion was future security guarantees for Ukraine to deter further Russian aggression.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha participated in the call with Rubio, stating on X, "I reiterated Ukraine's position that security guarantees must be concrete, legally binding and effective. They should be multidimensional, including military, diplomatic, legal and other levels."

Zelenskyy described his meeting with Kellogg as "productive," expressing gratitude for Trump's efforts to facilitate a deal and his support for U.S. backing of security guarantees. Kellogg remarked that the U.S. is "working very, very hard" to establish security guarantees in the near term, calling it a "work in progress."