Special Poll
President Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday to negotiate a partial 30-day ceasefire with Russia, according to the White House. The conversation followed Trump’s more than two-hour call with Russian President Vladimir Putin a day earlier, during which Trump attempted to secure a full and immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. While Putin rejected the proposal for a complete ceasefire, he agreed to a temporary halt in attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure, with conditions. The Kremlin later confirmed the partial ceasefire but specified that it applied only to strikes on energy infrastructure.
Following the call with Zelensky, Trump took to Truth Social, stating that much of their discussion was based on aligning both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs. He expressed confidence in the progress, emphasizing that negotiations were moving in the right direction. The White House confirmed that Zelensky accepted the partial ceasefire, agreeing to the cessation of attacks on energy facilities.
The White House also disclosed additional details from the conversation. Zelensky requested more U.S.-made Patriot missile systems for air defense, to which Trump responded by pledging to explore available options, particularly in Europe. Trump also proposed that the United States could assist in managing Ukraine’s electrical grid and nuclear power plants, suggesting that American ownership would provide the best protection for these facilities. The Ukrainian government did not mention these aspects in its readout but did confirm Zelensky’s acceptance of the 30-day pause in infrastructure strikes.
Despite the ceasefire talks, Zelensky claimed that Russia launched drone attacks against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine following Putin’s conversation with Trump. The Kremlin denied the allegation, asserting that Russian forces had actually intercepted and shot down seven of their own drones that were allegedly headed for Ukrainian targets. Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, stated in an interview with Bloomberg that he believed the Russian account of events.
Zelensky also announced that Russia had released 175 Ukrainian soldiers in one of the largest prisoner-of-war exchanges since the conflict began. The Kremlin later confirmed that the exchange was agreed upon during Trump’s call with Putin.
Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, provided further insight into the ongoing diplomatic efforts, describing them as a challenging but necessary process. He indicated that both sides were being pushed toward a ceasefire and an ultimate resolution to the war.
Looking ahead, U.S. officials are set to meet with Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Saudi Arabia on Monday and Tuesday to discuss the logistical details of the partial ceasefire. The format of these discussions remains unclear, with uncertainty about whether they will involve trilateral talks or separate bilateral meetings.