President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a one-hour phone call on Wednesday, following Trump’s conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The discussions centered on a partial ceasefire, with an agreement to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, a step toward potential peace talks, the White House confirmed.
In a social media post, Trump described the conversation as a “very good telephone call” and signaled progress toward aligning the two warring nations on their “requests and needs.”
White House: ‘We’ve never been closer to peace’
During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt framed the development as a breakthrough: “We have moved beyond just the economic minerals deal framework and are now looking at a lasting ceasefire. Right now, we’re at a partial ceasefire, but we have never been closer to peace than we are today.”
“But again, the President is sending his highly skilled, intelligent and experienced team to Saudi Arabia later this week to continue fighting for peace in this conflict. And I would just reiterate one more time: we have never been closer to peace than we are today,” she added.
According to a White House readout, Trump and Zelenskyy agreed on halting attacks on energy infrastructure, a key step toward de-escalation. The next phase of negotiations is set to take place in Saudi Arabia, where technical teams will discuss expanding the ceasefire to the Black Sea as a step toward a full cessation of hostilities.
Zelenskyy: ‘Russia’s words alone won’t work’
At a press conference in Helsinki, where he met Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Zelenskyy cautiously welcomed the limited truce but emphasized that monitoring would be crucial.
“Just the assertion and the word of Putin that he will not strike energy sites is too little,” Zelenskyy said. “War has made us practical people. We need monitoring, we need guarantees, and we need actions—not just promises.”
He said that Ukraine would provide a list of critical sites that must be protected under the agreement, but stressed that U.S. and European monitoring would be necessary for enforcement.
“If Russia doesn’t strike our infrastructure, we will not strike theirs. But we will not rely solely on their assurances—we need independent verification,” he added.
Trump’s support, Ukraine’s requests
During the call, Zelenskyy requested additional air defense systems, specifically Patriot missile batteries, to protect Ukrainian cities from potential Russian strikes.
According to White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, Trump agreed to explore available options:
“President Trump assured President Zelenskyy that he would coordinate with European partners to identify available defense systems. The focus remains on protecting civilians and ensuring Ukraine’s security while advancing toward a broader peace deal.”
Trump also discussed Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, proposing that American utility companies and expertise could help secure the country’s power grid.
“The United States could play a vital role in ensuring Ukraine’s electrical supply and nuclear power plants are protected. American involvement would be the best safeguard against future threats,” Trump reportedly told Zelenskyy, according to a White House official.
Putin’s ceasefire conditions raise concerns
While Putin agreed to a ceasefire on energy infrastructure, he has demanded that Ukraine halt all foreign military and intelligence cooperation before broader talks begin—a condition that Zelenskyy has rejected outright.
“For us, a red line is the recognition of Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories as Russian,” Zelenskyy stated. “We will not agree to that. Ukraine is willing to discuss peace, but we will not surrender our sovereignty.”
European leaders reacted cautiously to the developments, with Finnish President Alexander Stubb stating:
“It’s a yes or a no. No buts, no conditions. Ukraine accepted a ceasefire without any form of conditions. If Russia refuses to agree, we need to increase our efforts to strengthen Ukraine and ratchet up pressure on Russia.”
Saudi Arabia to host next round of talks
The next phase of negotiations will take place in Saudi Arabia, where U.S., Ukrainian, Russian, and European officials will discuss broadening the ceasefire to the Black Sea and other strategic areas.
Ukraine had originally agreed to a 30-day ceasefire, which would have covered land, air, and sea operations, but Russia only committed to halting attacks on energy facilities.
Trump is positioning the Saudi negotiations as a crucial step toward lasting peace, but questions remain over Russia’s sincerity and willingness to compromise.