Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that he was “not under any pressure” from US President Donald Trump to make concessions to Russia during discussions on ending the Russian invasion.
"Today, I have not felt any pressure. That's a fact," Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists after speaking with Donald Trump, who shared details of his conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week.
Before the call, Zelensky had cautioned against making "any concessions" to Russia, particularly after Putin demanded a halt to Western aid.
Trump described his conversation with Zelensky as “very good” and noted that it came a day after Putin agreed to temporarily stop attacks on Kyiv's power plants. However, he acknowledged that efforts to secure a full ceasefire in Russia's three-year-old invasion were still "on track," despite his discussion with Putin not yielding a broader peace deal.
As Kyiv and Moscow continued to accuse each other of ongoing attacks, Zelensky, after what he called a "frank" conversation with Trump, stated that Ukraine was willing to pause strikes on both Russian energy and civilian infrastructure.
Trump-Zelensky phone call
{{/usCountry}}As Kyiv and Moscow continued to accuse each other of ongoing attacks, Zelensky, after what he called a "frank" conversation with Trump, stated that Ukraine was willing to pause strikes on both Russian energy and civilian infrastructure.
Trump-Zelensky phone call
{{/usCountry}}Trump said he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for about an hour, marking their first conversation since a heated televised argument in the Oval Office just over two weeks ago.
"Much of the discussion was based on the call made yesterday with President Putin in order to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
"We are very much on track."
According to the White House, during the call, Trump proposed US "ownership" of Ukrainian power plants, suggesting it would be the "best protection" for them.
The former real estate mogul has previously negotiated a deal granting the United States preferential access to Ukraine’s critical mineral resources. Additionally, Trump pledged to assist Ukraine in securing more air defense equipment from European nations, AFP reported, citing a statement from National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
What happened to the plan of ‘30-day ceasefire’?
While Ukraine has agreed to a US-proposed unconditional 30-day ceasefire with Russia, Moscow has yet to accept the deal.
During his call with Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated that a full ceasefire would only be possible if the West halts its multi-billion-dollar military aid to Kyiv— a long-standing demand from Moscow. He also insisted that Ukraine must not be allowed to rearm and should stop its mandatory mobilisation.
Although both Ukraine and Russia have expressed support for a temporary truce on power plants, each side has accused the other of violating the agreement.
Ukraine’s defence ministry reported that an overnight barrage of Russian missiles and drones struck the country, killing one person and damaging two hospitals. "Today Putin effectively rejected the proposal for a full ceasefire," Zelensky said. Ukraine’s national railway service also reported that the strikes targeted railway energy infrastructure in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry accused Ukraine of launching a "deliberate" attack on an oil depot in southern Russia, claiming the move was intended to "derail" Trump’s efforts to mediate an end to the war. "These attacks are countering our common efforts," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, referring to ongoing U.S.-Russian discussions.
Despite the tensions, Russia and Ukraine exchanged 372 prisoners on Wednesday, a prearranged goodwill gesture.
In Washington, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff announced that technical talks on a potential deal to end the war would begin in Saudi Arabia on Monday. He expressed optimism that a ceasefire agreement could be reached "within a couple of weeks" and told Bloomberg Television that a meeting between Trump and Putin in the kingdom was "likely," though he did not specify a timeline.
(With AFP inputs)