Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump had a “very productive” phone call on Wednesday, where they discussed the preliminary agreement reached with Russian President Vladimir Putin the previous day.
Trump shared on his social media platform that the conversation was “very good” and focused largely on aligning the positions of Russia and Ukraine based on the call with Putin. Zelenskyy described the call as “positive, substantive, and frank,” in a detailed statement shared later on Wednesday.
“I expressed my gratitude for the positive and productive start to the work of the Ukrainian and American teams in Jeddah on March 11—this meeting played a crucial role in advancing efforts to end the war,” Zelenskyy said. “We agreed that Ukraine and the United States should continue collaborating to reach a real resolution and lasting peace. We believe that with America’s leadership, under President Trump’s guidance, peace can be achieved this year.”
On Tuesday, Putin had agreed to halt attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for 30 days, though the ceasefire did not extend to the frontlines or civilian areas, as initially hoped by the Trump administration.
While some leaders in Ukraine and Europe remained skeptical, special envoy Steve Witkoff expressed optimism on Wednesday, stating that a full ceasefire could be reached within a couple of weeks.
He also mentioned that an official meeting between Trump and Putin was “likely,” with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz planning a return to Saudi Arabia on Sunday to discuss the details of the agreement. It remains unclear if a Ukrainian delegation will also return to Saudi Arabia for talks with Russian officials.
In addition, Putin agreed to a prisoner exchange of 175 individuals and the return of 23 severely wounded Ukrainians as a “gesture of goodwill.” While international leaders expressed frustration over Putin’s reluctance to accept Ukraine’s proposal for a full ceasefire, Trump stated on Tuesday that pressuring Putin further would have been challenging, as Russia held the upper hand militarily.
Zelenskyy’s office did not respond to questions after the Trump-Putin call, but in a post, Zelenskyy criticized Putin for effectively rejecting the proposal for a complete ceasefire. Shortly after the call was set to take place, Zelenskyy shared an update on social media about one of the largest prisoner exchanges, showing images of Ukrainian soldiers returning from Russian captivity, draped in Ukrainian flags.
Zelenskyy confirmed the release of 175 soldiers and 22 “defenders.” “We are also grateful to all our partners, especially the United Arab Emirates, for facilitating this exchange,” he added, though he did not mention U.S. involvement in the negotiations.
Zelenskyy continued to stress the need for global action against Russia, calling for sanctions, further assistance to Ukraine, and bolstering the security of democratic allies. “The only real path to peace is Russia’s genuine cessation of attacks on civilian infrastructure,” he concluded, pointing out Russia’s ongoing assaults on Ukrainian civilians, including a recent drone strike on a hospital in the Sumy region.
For more political updates, visit, DC Brief.
