Trump and Zelenskiy agree in a phone call to work together for peace in Ukraine

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reached an agreement on Wednesday to collaborate in efforts to conclude Russia’s war against Ukraine, following what the White House characterized as a “fantastic” one-hour phone conversation.

This marked their first discussion since a heated exchange in the Oval Office on February 28. During the call, Zelenskiy expressed gratitude for U.S. support, and both leaders concurred that technical teams would convene in Saudi Arabia in the near future.

Zelenskiy requested additional air defense assistance to safeguard Ukraine from Russian assaults, to which Trump responded by offering to help identify the necessary military resources in Europe, according to the White House. Trump also updated Zelenskiy on his recent conversation with Vladimir Putin, where the Russian president dismissed a proposed 30-day ceasefire that Ukraine was willing to accept, although he did agree to a temporary halt in attacks on energy infrastructure.

However, the viability of this limited pause was called into question on Wednesday, as Moscow reported that Ukraine had targeted an oil depot in southern Russia, while Kyiv claimed that Russian forces had attacked hospitals and residential areas, disrupting power to some railways.

Despite these tensions, both nations executed a prisoner exchange, with each side releasing 175 soldiers in a deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates. Moscow also announced the release of an additional 22 injured Ukrainians as a gesture of goodwill.

Zelenskiy described his dialogue with Trump as “positive, very substantive, and frank,” confirming Ukraine’s willingness to cease strikes on Russian infrastructure and accept an unconditional ceasefire at the front lines, as previously suggested by the U.S. “One of the initial steps toward fully ending the war could involve halting attacks on energy and other civilian infrastructure. I endorsed this approach, and Ukraine affirmed its readiness to implement it,” he stated on social media.

Later, during a video call with reporters, the Ukrainian president emphasized that Trump understands Ukraine’s position of not recognizing occupied territories as Russian.

Zelenskiy stated that the recent Russian strikes, which he attributed to the period following Trump’s conversation with Putin, indicated that Russia was not prepared to pursue peace. He emphasized that the U.S. should oversee any ceasefire, suggesting that a cessation of attacks on infrastructure could be implemented swiftly.

The Kremlin announced it had canceled planned assaults on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including intercepting seven of its own drones aimed at Ukraine. It accused Kyiv of continuing its attacks, which it claimed undermined the potential agreement.

According to a statement from the U.S. administration, Trump proposed to Zelenskiy that the U.S. could assist in managing, and potentially owning, Ukraine’s nuclear power facilities. The largest nuclear power plant in Europe, located in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, has remained offline since being occupied by Russian forces in 2022.

Zelenskiy mentioned that Ukraine has initiated discussions with the U.S. regarding its potential role in the restoration of the Zaporizhzhia plant.

EUROPEANS CONCERNED

Trump has consistently vowed to resolve Europe’s most severe conflict since World War II. However, his engagement with Putin has caused anxiety among European allies, who worry it signals a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy after 80 years of prioritizing the defense of Europe against Russian expansionism.

Some European leaders interpreted Putin’s dismissal of Trump’s proposed comprehensive ceasefire as evidence that Moscow was not genuinely interested in peace. Germany’s defense minister remarked that the offer to temporarily halt attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities amounted to “nothing,” and that Trump would need to secure more substantial concessions.

“Putin is playing a game here, and I am confident that the American president will not be able to remain passive for much longer,” Boris Pistorius told German broadcaster ZDF.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, announced her intention to present a proposal to European leaders in Brussels on Thursday, aiming to supply Ukraine with 2 million rounds of large-caliber artillery ammunition, as indicated in a letter reviewed by Reuters.

INTENSIFIED ATTACKS

For the majority of the past three years, Russia has persistently targeted Ukraine’s power infrastructure, claiming that civilian facilities are legitimate targets as they support Kyiv’s military efforts. However, Ukrainian officials report that such assaults have decreased in recent months.

Kyiv has been enhancing its capabilities to conduct long-range strikes into Russian territory, often utilizing drones to target remote oil and gas facilities, which they assert supply fuel to Russian forces and generate revenue for the war.

In recent overnight attacks, Ukrainian regional officials reported that Russian drones inflicted damage on two hospitals in the northeastern Sumy region, resulting in no injuries but necessitating the evacuation of patients and staff.

In the vicinity of Kyiv, a 60-year-old man sustained injuries, and airstrikes impacted residential and commercial properties in the Bucha district, located north of the capital. Additionally, attacks on Wednesday caused damage to railway power systems in Dnipropetrovsk in the south, according to the state railway.

In the southern Russian region of Krasnodar, authorities reported that a Ukrainian drone strike ignited a fire at an oil depot near the village of Kavkazskaya, with no injuries reported.

This depot serves as a rail terminal for Russian oil supplies to a pipeline that connects Kazakhstan to the Black Sea. A representative from the Caspian Pipeline Consortium stated that oil flows remain stable, although two industry sources indicated that the attack might impact Russian supplies to the pipeline.