Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in what he described as a "very good" conversation, their first discussion since Trump publicly criticized Zelenskyy and asked him to leave the White House three weeks ago.
The call came a day after Trump’s discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who declined a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire but agreed to halt attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure while negotiations continue.
According to the White House, Trump assured Zelenskyy that intelligence-sharing between the U.S. and Ukraine would continue, despite Russia demanding an end to such cooperation as a key condition for a broader ceasefire.
In an online post, Trump shared that the hour-long call focused largely on aligning the interests of Russia and Ukraine following his discussion with Putin. "We are very much on track," he stated.
The White House also revealed that Trump and Zelenskyy discussed the possibility of U.S. ownership of Ukraine’s power plants, suggesting this could help protect the country’s energy infrastructure. However, Zelenskyy did not mention this topic in his summary of the conversation.
Instead, the Ukrainian leader emphasized his country's willingness to accept a full ceasefire and confirmed his support for a temporary halt in attacks on energy sites, as proposed by Trump.
"A first step toward ending the war could be stopping strikes on energy and civilian infrastructure," Zelenskyy said on X, adding that Ukraine was prepared to implement the agreement.
Despite Putin’s commitment to halting strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, Zelenskyy quickly accused Russia of violating the agreement. Speaking from Finland, he reported overnight drone attacks on energy sites and hospitals, saying, "Putin's words are very much at odds with reality."
Russia defended its actions, claiming drones had already been en route when Putin made his pledge. Meanwhile, Russian state media accused Ukraine of launching drone attacks on an oil storage facility in southern Russia.
During their call, Zelenskyy also requested additional U.S. air defense systems, particularly Patriot missiles. Trump agreed to explore options, particularly from European stockpiles, according to the White House.
While both the Kremlin and White House issued positive statements following Trump's conversation with Putin, the Russian leader made it clear that an immediate ceasefire was off the table. Among his main conditions was an end to Western military and intelligence support for Ukraine.
Ukraine, meanwhile, suffered a strategic setback this week, withdrawing from Russia’s Kursk region after months of holding ground there.
Orysia Lutsevych, head of the Ukraine Forum at the Chatham House think tank, said it was crucial for Trump and Zelenskyy to reestablish direct communication, particularly after what she called a humiliating encounter at the White House weeks earlier.
Despite ongoing battles and stalled negotiations, Ukraine and Russia did agree to a large prisoner exchange on Wednesday, continuing a pattern of such swaps throughout the war.
