Zelensky Cautiously Endorses Trump’s Call for Ukraine-Russia Talks
Kyiv, Ukraine – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has cautiously welcomed the announcement of talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine.
"No one wants peace more than Ukraine," Zelensky wrote on social media platform X. "Together with the United States, the Ukrainian government will determine the next steps to stop Russian aggression and ensure a lasting, reliable peace. As President Trump said, ‘Let’s get it done.’"
Zelensky said Trump had informed him of details of his phone call with Putin, but did not provide specifics. He described it as a "meaningful conversation" with Trump.
According to the Ukrainian presidential office, Zelensky spoke with Trump for approximately one and a half hours. The call also touched on the preparation of a new document on security, economic cooperation, and resource partnership.
Trump had previously stated that he had agreed with Putin to immediately begin negotiations on ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the phone call lasted nearly 90 minutes and that the two leaders agreed to meet in person. Putin invited Trump to visit Russia, according to the Interfax news agency.
International Reactions
The Ukrainian announcement was met with mixed reactions from the international community.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had earlier prepared the Ukrainian government for potential concessions. At a meeting of the so-called Ukraine Contact Group, he dismissed Ukrainian membership in NATO as unrealistic and a return to pre-2014 borders after the annexation of Crimea as illusory. Hegseth proposed securing a peace agreement in Ukraine through an international force but emphasized that US troops would not be involved, leaving the responsibility primarily with European nations.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock welcomed Trump’s call with Putin but insisted on the involvement of European nations in any peace negotiations for Ukraine. "There can be no decisions made about Ukraine without Ukraine," she said in Paris. "If the Russian president finally came to the realization that he should end this disaster in the interest of peace throughout Europe, then that would be an overdue step," added Baerbock.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares Bueno echoed Baerbock’s sentiment at the Paris meeting. "We are dealing with a sovereign country with a democratically elected government," he said.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot further called for close involvement of the Europeans. "There will be no just and lasting peace in Ukraine without the participation of the Europeans," he stressed. "It is up to the Ukrainians to set the parameters of a peace agreement."
The British government also welcomed the push for negotiations. "We share President Trump’s desire to see an end to this barbaric war," said a spokesperson for the Foreign Office in London. Russia could bring about an end tomorrow by withdrawing its forces and ending its invasion, the spokesperson added. "Our priority now is to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position."
