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Trump Holds Productive Call with Zelensky Amid Ceasefire Talks
Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday, President Donald Trump described his recent conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as "very good," reaffirming that ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire are still alive, despite the absence of a formal agreement with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.
Both Kyiv and Moscow have been trading accusations over breaches of an accord concerning a halt in assaults on energy infrastructure, a commitment that arose from Trump’s discussions with Putin the previous day. Trump revealed that he engaged in a conversation lasting about an hour with Zelensky.
"Much of our dialogue centered on the call with President Putin yesterday, focusing on aligning the requests and needs of both Russia and Ukraine," Trump noted on his Truth Social platform. "We are very much on track."
This conversation was notably the first between Trump and Zelensky since a heated televised exchange in the Oval Office approximately two and a half weeks ago, which briefly halted U.S. aid to Ukraine. Following that confrontation, Zelensky agreed to a U.S.-proposed plan that included an unconditional 30-day ceasefire with Russia, as well as terms allowing the U.S. preferential access to Ukraine’s mineral resources.
Zelensky was informed of the highlights from Tuesday’s talks between Trump and Putin, which led to an agreement for a limited 30-day pause in attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure. However, Putin remained adamant about not consenting to a comprehensive ceasefire until Western support for Ukraine ceased, insisting that Ukraine refrain from rearming and halt mandatory mobilization efforts.
’Proposal Turned Down’
Since Russia’s invasion of pro-Western Ukraine three years ago, it has held around 20% of the nation’s territory. Despite mutual backing from Ukraine and Russia for a temporary truce concerning power plants, each side accused the other of failing to comply.
Ukraine’s defense ministry reported a nighttime barrage of Russian missiles and drones that struck the war-ravaged nation, resulting in one casualty and damage to two hospitals. "Today, Putin effectively turned down the full ceasefire proposal," declared Zelensky.
The Ukrainian national railway service indicated that the bombing had affected energy infrastructure in the central Dnipropetrovsk region. "So much for a pause in attacks on the energy sector or an energy truce from the enemy!" the railway service remarked.
On the other hand, Russia’s defense ministry highlighted what they described as a "deliberate" Ukrainian attack on an oil depot in southern Russia, claiming it aimed to undermine Trump’s efforts to reconcile the conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, "These attacks are countering our shared efforts."
Despite the ongoing tensions, Russia and Ukraine successfully conducted an exchange of 372 prisoners, a gesture of goodwill as confirmed by Moscow on Wednesday.
In Washington, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff announced that technical discussions regarding a potential peace deal would commence in Saudi Arabia on Monday. He expressed optimism that a ceasefire might be achieved "within a few weeks." Witkoff also mentioned a probable meeting between Trump and Putin in the kingdom, though no specific timeline was provided.
However, there seems to be some discord between Washington and Moscow regarding the specifics of Tuesday’s agreement. While Moscow asserts that the deal pertains solely to energy installations, U.S. officials believe it encompasses additional infrastructure as well.
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