Zelensky says ‘lasting peace can be achieved this year’ after Trump call
It comes as Downing Street labelled Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s resistance to accepting a ceasefire without conditions as ‘disappointing’.
Volodymyr Zelensky has said he believes “lasting peace can be achieved this year” with the support of the US, after a phone call with Donald Trump.
The US president suggested to Ukraine that America takes ownership of Ukrainian power plants to ensure their security, the White House has said, during the call which Mr Trump hailed as “very good”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and the US leader agreed to a limited ceasefire on energy and infrastructure targets earlier this week, but air strikes have continued as the Kremlin held off from accepting a 30-day truce backed by Washington and Ukraine.
It comes as Downing Street labelled the Russian leader’s resistance to accepting a ceasefire without conditions as “disappointing”.
In a post on X on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Zelensky said he had a “positive, very substantive and frank” conversation with Mr Trump, and said that Ukraine was “ready to implement” the ending of strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure.
He thanked Mr Trump for the talks in Saudi Arabia last week, and added: “We agreed that Ukraine and the United States should continue working together to achieve a real end to the war and lasting peace.
“We believe that together with America, with President Trump, and under American leadership, lasting peace can be achieved this year.”
Mr Zelensky said they will “continue working” to make a ceasefire happen and suggested there would be further meetings “in the coming days” in Saudi Arabia between the US and Ukrainian teams.
“I highlighted the importance of President Trump’s concept of peace through strength,” the Ukrainian president added.
Mr Trump told Mr Zelensky during their call that the US could be “very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise”, according to a White House statement from US secretary of state Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz.
The US president added that “American ownership of those plants could be the best protection for that infrastructure”.
In a post on Truth Social earlier in the afternoon he had said that the call was “very good” and “we are very much on track”.
The call between the US and Ukrainian leaders comes after Mr Zelensky spoke with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Tuesday evening.
Earlier on Wednesday Number 10 described Mr Putin’s refusal to accept an immediate ceasefire without conditions as “disappointing”.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We obviously welcome President Trump’s efforts to secure a ceasefire in this space, but it is also disappointing that Putin has not agreed to a full-on, immediate ceasefire without conditions, as Ukraine has done.”
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir told MPs: “Last night, I spoke to President Zelensky to discuss progress that President Trump had made with Russia towards a ceasefire.
“And I took the opportunity to reaffirm our unwavering support to the people of Ukraine.”
