Trump says he had “very good” call with Zelenskyy one day after speaking to Putin
President Trump had a lengthy phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday morning, discussing various issues related to Russia and Ukraine. The call, which lasted approximately an hour, was described by Mr. Trump as “very good” and focused on aligning the requests and needs of both countries following a previous call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In the call with Putin, Mr. Trump secured a 30-day ceasefire against Ukraine’s energy and infrastructure, although it fell short of the full ceasefire that the U.S. and Ukraine had been pushing for. Shortly after the call, Russia launched drone strikes that targeted civilian areas and a hospital, indicating a lack of adherence to the ceasefire agreement.
National security adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a joint statement confirming that Mr. Trump briefed Zelenskyy on the call with Putin. They also mentioned that Zelenskyy requested additional air defense systems, to which Mr. Trump agreed to work with him to find available options, particularly in Europe. Additionally, Mr. Trump proposed the idea of the U.S. taking ownership and running Ukraine’s nuclear power plants for better protection and support of Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Zelenskyy expressed gratitude towards Mr. Trump for the positive and substantive conversation they had, emphasizing the need for a halt to Russia’s attacks on civilian infrastructure to signal a genuine desire for peace. This call marks the first known conversation between the two leaders since their contentious Oval Office meeting last month.
Despite Mr. Trump’s belief that Putin wants peace, Zelenskyy remains skeptical of Russia’s intentions. He emphasized the importance of technical details to ensure that any ceasefire agreements are not solely dependent on Russia’s desires. Special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, mentioned that Putin is operating in good faith and has issued orders to Russian forces not to attack Ukrainian energy infrastructure following his call with Mr. Trump.
National security adviser Mike Waltz announced that technical teams would be meeting in Saudi Arabia to work on implementing and expanding the partial ceasefire secured by Mr. Trump from Russia. This effort signifies a continued push for peace and stability in the region amid ongoing tensions and conflict.
Overall, the dialogue between Mr. Trump and Zelenskyy highlights the complex dynamics at play in the region and the ongoing efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the ongoing crisis between Russia and Ukraine.
