President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky walked away from their Wednesday phone call in good spirits, with the White House saying an end to the Russian invasion has “never been closer.”
Trump called the conversation “very good” in a social media post afterward, asserting that peace negotiations remain “very much on track.” Zelensky offered a similar analysis not long after, calling the talks “positive, very substantive, and frank.”
The United States and Ukraine confirmed they would participate in meetings in Saudi Arabia for the next round of negotiations.
“Ukrainian and American teams are ready to meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to continue coordinating steps toward peace,” Zelensky said. “We instructed our advisors and representatives to carry out this work as quickly as possible.”
It’s a remarkable improvement in mood for the Ukrainian government, which has repeatedly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of obfuscating sincere peace negotiations as a method of gaining the upper hand over the exhausted Ukrainian military.
Putin called the U.S.-Ukraine proposal for a 30-day ceasefire “good” in theory but questioned whether such an arrangement would allow Ukraine to regroup and bolster its defenses. He agreed to meetings with U.S. envoys in the Middle East soon.
It is unclear whether the U.S. will mediate a trilateral meeting with representatives from both countries or if it will stage separate talks with each country and relay information between them.
This breakthrough marks an end to talks about Ukrainian repayment of U.S. funds through natural resource sharing.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that the U.S. and Ukraine “moved beyond” the mineral deal floated by Trump as a method of repaying the American public for the money and weapons sent to Ukraine.
Now, the negotiations are centered on a full-fledged ceasefire without the minerals deal attached, Leavitt told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday.
Zelensky said during the Wednesday phone call that the U.S. suggested “ending strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure” and “also proposed an unconditional ceasefire on the frontline,” both of which he eagerly agreed to.
TRUMP SAYS ‘WE ARE VERY MUCH ON TRACK’ AFTER PHONE CALL WITH ZELENSKY ON CEASEFIRE
The U.S. reportedly made a series of important assurances to the Ukrainian government, including the return of kidnapped Ukrainian children, information sharing regarding the Russian offensive, and even helping acquire further air defense support.
“President Trump fully briefed President Zelensky on his conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the key issues discussed. They reviewed the situation in Kursk and agreed to share information closely between their defense staffs as the battlefield situation evolved,” according to a read-out from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz.
The read-out continued, “President Zelensky asked for additional air defense systems to protect his civilians, particularly Patriot missile systems; President Trump agreed to work with him to find what was available, particularly in Europe.”
Leavitt also affirmed the U.S.’s pledge to share intelligence with the Ukrainian government and help furnish defensive resources.
These gestures toward Ukraine could spark frustration in the Kremlin, which rebuked mediation efforts that it perceived as insufficiently neutral.
Envoys from the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine will travel to the Middle East in the next few days to begin the much-anticipated peace talks.
It will be a critical moment in determining Russia’s sincerity in seeking an end to the conflict, which has resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties on both sides.
Even with the assurances made by the U.S. regarding humanitarian aid and defense support, each day further exhausts Ukraine’s struggling military as it cedes ground in its own country and in its Russia-occupied land.
The longer peace talks drag on, the worse Ukraine’s bargaining position becomes.