Zelenskyy Dials Trump, Discusses Putin’s Ceasefire Pledge Amid Fresh Airstrike Allegation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is engaged in a highly anticipated discussion with US President Donald Trump regarding the details of a recent phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino confirmed in a post on X that Trump was conducting the call from the Oval Office.

Photo Credit: AP/PTI

"The President of Ukraine is speaking by telephone with US President Donald Trump," Zelenskyy's spokesperson, Sergiy Nykyforov, informed reporters.

On Tuesday, Russian President Putin agreed to temporarily suspend attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities but declined to support a full 30-day ceasefire, which President Trump had proposed as a step towards achieving a permanent peace agreement.

However, just hours after the limited ceasefire was announced, both Moscow and Kyiv accused each other on Wednesday of launching airstrikes that caused damage to infrastructure.

White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz stated on social media that US and Russian technical teams are set to meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss the implementation and possible extension of the ceasefire.

Speaking in Helsinki alongside Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Zelenskyy expressed scepticism over Putin's assurances, stating that his commitment to halting strikes on energy infrastructure was "very much at odds with reality," following a night of intense drone attacks across Ukraine.

"Only last night, after Putin's conversation with President Trump, during which he claimed to have halted strikes on Ukraine's energy facilities, 150 drones were launched overnight, including attacks on energy infrastructure," Zelenskyy remarked.

Meanwhile, Russia maintained that it had stopped targeting Ukraine's energy sites and instead accused Kyiv of striking equipment near one of its pipelines. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, "Unfortunately, we see that, as of now, there is no reciprocity from the Kyiv regime."