U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held an hour-long conversation on Wednesday, a day after Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump stated that the call aimed to “align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs” as he continues efforts to negotiate a ceasefire between the two nations.
“We are very much on track,” Trump said in a social media post, adding that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz would provide further details soon.
During Trump’s discussion with Putin on Tuesday, the Russian leader agreed not to target energy infrastructure but stopped short of committing to a full 30-day ceasefire. However, Zelenskyy criticized Putin’s pledge as “very much at odds with reality,” pointing to a fresh wave of overnight drone strikes across Ukraine.
“Even last night, after Putin’s conversation with Trump, when Putin claimed he had ordered a halt on strikes against Ukraine’s energy sector, 150 drones were launched overnight, including on energy facilities,” Zelenskyy said at a news conference alongside Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Helsinki.
The Kremlin responded by asserting that Russia had ceased its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and accused Kyiv of escalating hostilities by targeting Russian facilities.
“Unfortunately, there is no reciprocity from the Kyiv regime,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
The White House characterized Trump’s talks with Putin as a “movement toward peace,” expressing hopes for a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and, eventually, an end to hostilities. However, there was no indication that Putin had softened his demands for a peace deal—terms that Kyiv has firmly rejected.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based think tank, argued that Putin’s demands during the talks with Trump amounted to “Ukrainian capitulation.”
“Putin is attempting to hold the temporary ceasefire proposal hostage to extract preemptive concessions ahead of formal negotiations,” the ISW stated in an analysis of the call.
Stubb, the Finnish president, acknowledged that the Trump-Putin talks marked a step toward peace but insisted that Russia must fully end its aggression.
“There are only two responses to the U.S. president’s proposal: yes or no—no conditions, no delays,” Stubb said. “Ukraine has already accepted a ceasefire without conditions. If Russia refuses, we must redouble our efforts to strengthen Ukraine and pressure Russia into negotiations.”
White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz confirmed on social media that he and his Russian counterpart, Yuri Ushakov, had agreed to meet soon in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss implementing and expanding the partial ceasefire Trump secured from Russia.
It remains unclear who will participate in the talks or whether Ukrainian officials have been invited.
Shortly after Trump and Putin’s phone call on Tuesday, air raid sirens blared in Kyiv, followed by explosions. According to Zelenskyy, Russian strikes hit civilian infrastructure, including two hospitals, a railway, and more than 20 houses.
Russian drones were reported over multiple regions, including Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Chernihiv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, and Cherkasy.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed it had targeted military-related power facilities in Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region before halting strikes in compliance with Putin’s order. Moscow also accused Ukraine of striking an energy facility in Russia’s Krasnodar region, which borders Crimea. The attack reportedly set fire to oil transfer equipment linked to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium.
“It is absolutely clear that this was a deliberate provocation by the Kyiv regime, aimed at sabotaging U.S.-led peace initiatives,” Russia’s Defense Ministry stated.
Russia further claimed that its air defenses had intercepted 57 Ukrainian drones over the Azov Sea and multiple Russian border provinces.
Zelenskyy dismissed Russian claims of de-escalation, emphasizing that Ukraine would only halt retaliatory strikes if Russia did the same.
“Words of a ceasefire aren’t enough,” he said. “If the Russians don’t hit our facilities, we won’t hit theirs.”
