Bangladesh, May 19 -- In a bold diplomatic move, US President Donald Trump is set to speak directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, raising hopes that a long-frozen conflict may finally begin to thaw. The call, scheduled for May 19, comes on the heels of the first direct Russia-Ukraine talks in three years and is being described by Trumps special envoy, Steve Witkoff, as potentially “very successful.”

The diplomatic flurry signals renewed US interest in reshaping the dialogue around the war in Ukraine, one of the most enduring and destabilizing conflicts in modern European history. Witkoff, appearing on ABCs This Week, offered a surprisingly optimistic tone, emphasizing the importance of the recent Istanbul negotiation...