Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to mediate peace in Ukraine, seizing the moment as a ceasefire takes hold in the Middle East.
The appeal came during a phone conversation on Saturday, first reported by Axios. According to the report, the two leaders also discussed Ukraine’s request for the U.S. to allow the transfer of long-range “Tomahawk” missiles to strengthen Kyiv’s defensive capabilities.
“If one war can be stopped in one region, then surely others — including the Russian war — can also be stopped,” Zelensky wrote on X, a day after Russia launched massive strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Zelensky described his conversation with Trump as “very positive and productive”, adding:
“I informed President Trump about Russia’s attacks on our energy system — and I appreciate his willingness to support us.”
Over the past week, Russia has launched 465 Shahed drones and 32 missiles against Ukraine. The Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, warned that the situation could worsen:
“New challenges await us. In the past month, the enemy has increased the number of aerial attack vehicles. Although our air defense remains about 74% effective, we must intensify efforts to protect the energy sector, critical infrastructure, and logistics.”
Zelensky renewed his call for greater allied assistance and for the use of frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction:
“Russian assets must be fully utilized to strengthen our defense and ensure reconstruction,” he said Friday night.
Meanwhile, in a joint statement, the leaders of Britain, France, and Germany expressed readiness to cooperate with the U.S. in using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s defense and pressure Moscow to return to the negotiating table.
