India, March 18 -- Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have begun a highly anticipated call as the US administration looks to persuade the Russian leader to sign-off on a 30-day ceasefire proposal as a possible pathway to end the war.

The call began at 1400 GMT and is going well, according to White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino. "The call is going well, and still in progress," Scavino wrote on X.

The conversation comes amid growing pressure for an end to the three-year conflict, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, displaced millions, and left parts of Ukraine in ruins.

Trump is seeking to convince Putin to formally accept the 30-day truce, which Ukrainian officials agreed to last week during US-led...