President Donald Trump held a follow-up phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss potential ceasefire progress after a lengthy conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump on Wednesday described his telephone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “very good,” noting it was aimed at aligning the positions of Russia and Ukraine following his earlier discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said the conversation with Zelensky lasted approximately an hour and was centered on “requests and needs” from both nations. “We are very much on track,” Trump posted on Truth Social, adding that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz would soon release an official summary of the discussions.
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The call followed Trump’s two-hour conversation with Putin on Tuesday, which the president described as “very good and productive.” According to Trump, he and Putin agreed to “an immediate ceasefire on all energy and infrastructure,” with the goal of achieving a comprehensive ceasefire and an eventual end to the war between Russia and Ukraine. Trump’s outline of the agreement included commitments to further discussions toward peace.
However, Ukrainian President Zelensky voiced skepticism over the ceasefire claims. On Tuesday night, Zelensky accused Putin of having “effectively rejected” ceasefire proposals, stating that Russia continued to bombard Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. Speaking at a press conference Wednesday morning with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Zelensky defined non-negotiable conditions for Ukraine in any ongoing talks with Russia or the United States.
“The most important thing for Ukraine is not to lose the independence and sovereignty of our state. Russia must never again have influence over the independence of Ukrainians,” Zelensky said during the joint appearance. He emphasized that all Ukrainian territory currently under Russian occupation remains “temporarily occupied” and would not be ceded to Russian control.
Zelensky also made clear that Ukraine’s military autonomy is not up for negotiation. “I will not discuss what our armed forces should look like,” he stated, asserting that maintaining a strong military is vital for ensuring Ukrainian sovereignty and preventing future conflict.
Regarding military aid, Zelensky rejected any suggestion that support from the United States should be curtailed. “I do not believe that we should make any concessions in terms of assistance for Ukraine, but rather there should be an increase in assistance for Ukraine,” he told reporters. This statement came in response to Putin’s reported demand, during his call with Trump, that the U.S. cease military aid to Ukraine.
In closing, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine’s economic security must be rooted in cooperation with the European Union, not agreements with Russia. “The main economic security guarantee for Ukraine is the European Union,” he said. He also reiterated the need for the return of Ukrainian prisoners and the remains of the dead, insisting these humanitarian issues were “non-negotiable.”
As Trump’s administration continues to broker peace efforts, the divergence between the leaders’ views highlights the challenges of reconciling positions between Kyiv and Moscow. Further updates from Secretary Rubio and Adviser Waltz are expected to clarify the U.S. government’s official position following these high-level diplomatic talks.
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