LAST UPDATE: 21:38
U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a nearly hour-long phone conversation as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Following the call, Trump described the exchange as “a very good telephone call” in a post on Truth Social. “Much of the discussion was based on the call made yesterday with President Putin in order to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs,” the U.S. President stated. He added that “we are very much on track” and announced that Secretary of State Marko Rubio and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz would provide a summary of the key issues discussed.
For his part, Zelensky characterized the conversation as “positive, very substantive, and frank.” He confirmed that Ukraine is prepared to suspend its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure as part of efforts to facilitate negotiations.
“We agreed that Ukraine and the United States must continue to work together to achieve an end to the war and lasting peace. We believe that together with America, with President Trump, and under American leadership, lasting peace can be achieved this year,” Zelensky wrote in a post on platform X (formerly Twitter).
The Ukrainian leader also noted that Trump briefed him on the key points of his conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In turn, Zelensky updated Trump on battlefield developments, including the situation in Russia’s Kursk region, and raised the issues of prisoner exchanges and enhancing Ukraine’s air defense capabilities.
Both leaders directed their teams to resolve technical matters related to implementing and expanding the partial ceasefire. Zelensky confirmed that delegations from Ukraine and the United States are prepared to meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to continue coordinating steps toward peace.
Zelensky also expressed gratitude to the U.S. President and the American people for their continued support, emphasizing that “the Ukrainians want peace, which is why Ukraine accepted the proposal for an unconditional ceasefire”—a move that Russia has not reciprocated.
Source: ANA-MPA, Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas