Updated March 19, 2025 at 14:35 PM ET
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with President Trump on Wednesday, following Trump's call on Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
President Trump said on social media that he had spoken with Zelenskyy for about an hour.
"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. We are very much on track," Trump said.
A statement by national security adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the conversation as "fantastic" and said President Trump "fully briefed" Zelenskyy on Tuesday's conversation with Putin. The statement said Zelenskyy thanked Trump for ongoing meetings of officials and for U.S. military support, "especially the Javelin missiles that President Trump was first to provide."
Zelenskyy asked for additional air defense systems, the statement said, particularly Patriot missile systems, and "President Trump agreed to work with him to find what was available, particularly in Europe."
"The two leaders also agreed on a partial ceasefire against energy," the statement said. "Technical teams will meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to discuss broadening the ceasefire to the Black Sea on the way to a full ceasefire. They agreed this could be the first step toward the full end of the war and ensuring security."
Trump suggested that the U.S. "could be very helpful" to Ukraine in running its power plants, the statement also said. "American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure," it said.
In a social media post, Zelenskyy called the conversation "positive, very substantive, and frank" and said, "In further meetings, the teams can agree on all necessary aspects of advancing toward lasting peace and security guarantees." He said the conversation "touched on the issue of the release of POWs, and the return of Ukrainian children who were taken by Russian forces." The statement by Rubio and Waltz noted that "President Trump promised to work closely with both parties to help make sure those children were returned home."
Despite Putin's agreement to halt attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, Russian forces launched drone and missile strikes overnight, targeting energy facilities and transport infrastructure. Two hospitals were also hit.
"Even this night after Putin's talk with President Trump, when Putin allegedly said he had given the order to stop strikes on the Ukrainian energy targets, 150 drones hit energy infrastructure, transport, unfortunately two hospitals," Zelenskyy told reporters in Helsinki, Finland. "Putin's words are very different from reality."
Zelenskyy met with Finland's president, who suggested Russia should accept the full land, sea and air ceasefire American and Ukrainians negotiators had agreed was the way forward.
Zelenskyy expressed skepticism about Russia's commitment to the ceasefire and emphasized the need for continued international support for Ukraine. He stated that pressure on Russia is essential for achieving peace and cautioned against making concessions, particularly regarding Western aid to Ukraine.
European leaders demand a role in talks
"There are only two ways to respond to the proposal of the president of the United States: yes or no... but no conditions," Finnish President Alexander Stubb said at a press conference with Zelenskyy.
The defense minister of Germany, the second-biggest aid donor to Ukraine after the U.S., said Putin is "playing a game."
"We've seen that attacks on civilian infrastructure have not eased at all in the first night after this supposedly ground-breaking, great phone call" between Putin and Trump, Boris Pistorius said in an interview with German public television.
The European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, stressed that the Kremlin's demand to halt military aid to Kyiv is unacceptable.
"What Russia wants is that Ukraine will let all the guards down," Kallas said on Euronews television. "If they achieve that 'no military aid to Ukraine,' then they are free to continue, because the Ukrainians can't defend themselves. So I mean, clearly this can't work."
She also said the EU and its member nations must be part of any discussions.
"For an agreement to work, the Europeans must be at the table to approve it. Its implementation must be in Europe's hands."
Zelenskyy has taken pains to show he wants talks to work, after a heated encounter with Trump and Vice President Vance at the White House last month. The Ukrainian leader says he believes the war can end this year, as Ukraine has security guarantees. "Otherwise, Putin will come again with war," he said in Helsinki.
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