US President Donald Trump has held what he described as a “superb” hour-long telephone name along with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, a day after chatting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky stated afterwards that he believed that “lasting peace will be achieved this yr” underneath Trump’s management.
Additionally they mentioned attainable US possession of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia energy plant, Zelensky stated.
The apparently cordial temper of the dialog is in marked distinction to Zelensky’s go to to the White Home final month, by which the 2 leaders – together with US Vice-President JD Vance – have been concerned in a tense trade.
Wednesday marked the primary time the 2 males have spoken for the reason that assembly within the Oval Workplace – though since then, their groups have met in Saudi Arabia and negotiated a proposed 30-day ceasefire.
Whereas it’s backed by Ukraine and the US, Putin rejected the proposal for a widespread pause within the battle throughout his telephone name with the US president on Tuesday.
Throughout his dialog with Donald Trump, Zelensky stated he was open to a partial ceasefire involving a halt on strikes on power infrastructure, rail and port services that might be established shortly – however the Ukrainian president warned his nation would retaliate if Moscow violated the phrases of the ceasefire.
“I perceive that till we agree (with Russia), till there’s a corresponding doc on even a partial ceasefire, I feel that every little thing will fly,” he stated, referring to drones and missiles.
Writing on his social media platform Reality Social, Trump stated the decision was geared toward aligning Ukraine and Russia “by way of their requests and wishes”, including that ceasefire efforts have been on monitor.
Later, in a extra detailed assertion, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated Trump had agreed to assist Ukraine supply extra air defence methods, notably in Europe.
The 2 leaders “agreed to share info carefully between their defence staffs because the battlefield state of affairs developed”, he stated.
The developments will come as a reduction for Zelensky, who described his dialog with Trump as “optimistic”, “frank”, and “very substantive”, throughout an internet briefing to journalists on Wednesday.
“We consider that along with America, with President Trump, and underneath American management, lasting peace will be achieved this yr,” he wrote on X.
Through the video name with reporters, Zelensky stated he believed Putin wouldn’t comply with a full ceasefire whereas Ukrainian troops remained in Russia’s western Kursk area, after Kyiv launched a shock assault on the area in August final yr.
Each Zelensky and Putin have stated they’d comply with halt assaults on power infrastructure. Nonetheless, each have since accused one another of continued assaults.
Trump stated Wednesday’s name with Zelensky lasted about an hour.
“A lot of the dialogue was based mostly on the decision made yesterday with President Putin with a purpose to align each Russia and Ukraine by way of their requests and wishes,” he wrote on Reality Social.
Technical groups from Ukraine and the US are anticipated to now meet in Saudi Arabia within the coming days.
Within the White Home final month, Trump advised Zelensky he was not grateful sufficient for US navy and political help, and that he was “playing with World Conflict Three”.
The US quickly then suspended navy assist and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, however diplomats have been in a position to enhance relations and on 11 March the 2 sides agreed on a ceasefire.
Throughout his name with Trump on Tuesday, Putin agreed to halt Russian assaults on Ukraine’s power infrastructure.
However he stated a full ceasefire would solely work if Ukraine’s supporters stopped giving navy help – a situation Kyiv’s European allies have beforehand rejected.
Hours later each Ukraine and Russia launched assaults, with Kyiv saying hospitals had been focused.
Officers within the southern Russian area of Krasnodar stated {that a} Ukrainian drone assault sparked a small fireplace at an oil depot.
Regardless of the strikes, Kyiv and Moscow carried out an trade of prisoners on Wednesday. Both sides launched 175 POWs.
Zelensky described the swap as “one of many largest”, including that Russia included an additional 22 “severely wounded” troopers.
