After a positive hour-long phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed on Wednesday to work together to end the ongoing war with Russia in Ukraine, the White House reported.
The two leaders, who spoke for the first time since a heated exchange in the Oval Office on February 28, agreed to send technical teams to Saudi Arabia in the coming days to further discuss peace efforts. Zelensky thanked Trump for U.S. support and requested additional air defense systems to protect Ukraine from Russian attacks.
Trump briefed Zelensky on a recent phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which Putin rejected Trump’s offer for a full 30-day ceasefire. However, Moscow agreed to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, a condition Ukraine had expressed willingness to accept.
Despite the high tensions, the two sides carried out a prisoner swap and, with the help of the United Arab Emirates, released 175 servicemen each. However, military attacks continued, with Ukraine accusing Russia of attacking hospitals and homes, and Moscow reported that a Ukrainian drone had damaged an oil depot in southern Russia.
Zelensky expressed confidence in Ukraine’s readiness to stop infrastructure attacks and accept an unconditional ceasefire, but stressed that Ukraine would not recognize Russian-occupied territories. Meanwhile, the Kremlin said Ukraine had failed to honor the ceasefire agreement.
Trump suggested that the United States could help manage Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, including the Zaporizhia plant, which has been under Russian control since 2022. Zelensky confirmed that talks with the United States on the facility’s renovation were ongoing.
The call came amid growing concern among European leaders who fear that Trump’s approach marks a shift in U.S. foreign policy and could undermine NATO’s stance against Russian expansionism.
As the conflict continues, both sides have engaged in sporadic attacks. Russian drones are attacking Ukrainian hospitals and power systems, while Ukrainian drones are targeting Russian oil infrastructure, further escalating tensions.
