U.S. President and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy agreed to collaborate on ending Russia's war with Ukraine during a notable one-hour phone call. This marked their first conversation since their meeting in the Oval Office on February 28. Zelenskiy expressed gratitude for U.S. support, and the leaders decided that technical teams would convene in Saudi Arabia in the coming days.
Zelenskiy requested additional air defense support to shield Ukraine from Russian attacks, and the U.S. president pledged to assist in locating the necessary military equipment in Europe. Trump briefed Zelenskiy on his recent call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which Putin rejected a proposed 30-day ceasefire but agreed to pause attacks on energy infrastructure.
However, the viability of this pause was cast into doubt, as Moscow claimed Ukraine hit an oil depot in southern Russia, while Kyiv reported that Russian strikes had targeted hospitals and homes, disrupting power to some railways.
Despite the ongoing tensions, both sides successfully executed a prisoner exchange, with each releasing 175 troops, facilitated by the United Arab Emirates. Moscow also released an additional 22 wounded Ukrainians as a goodwill gesture.
Zelenskiy described his conversation with Trump as "positive, very substantive, and frank," confirming Kyiv's willingness to halt strikes on Russian infrastructure and to accept an unconditional ceasefire as earlier proposed by the U.S. He identified ending attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure as a crucial step toward concluding the war.
In a later video call with reporters, Zelenskiy stated that Trump understood Ukraine's position on not recognizing occupied territories as Russian. He emphasized that recent Russian strikes demonstrated Moscow's lack of readiness for peace and suggested that the U.S. should oversee any ceasefire, proposing that a cessation of infrastructure attacks could be promptly implemented.
The Kremlin announced it had canceled planned attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, claiming to have intercepted seven of its own drones headed toward Ukraine. Moscow accused Kyiv of continuing its assaults, alleging an attempt to undermine the ceasefire agreement.
Trump proposed U.S. assistance in operating, and potentially owning, Ukraine's nuclear power plants, including the Zaporizhzhia plant, which has been inactive since Russian forces occupied it in 2022. Zelenskiy noted that Ukraine had initiated discussions with the U.S. regarding potential involvement in restoring the Zaporizhzhia facility.
While Trump aims to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II, his overtures to Putin have unsettled European allies concerned about a shift in U.S. foreign policy away from its long-standing commitment to counter Russian expansionism. Some European leaders interpreted Putin's rejection of the proposed truce as evidence that Moscow is not genuinely pursuing peace. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius remarked that players such as Putin engage in manipulation, suggesting that the American president would not remain passive for long.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced she would present a proposal to European leaders to supply Ukraine with 2 million rounds of large-caliber artillery ammunition.
Over the past three years, Russia has consistently targeted Ukraine's power grid, contending that civilian infrastructure is a legitimate target as it bolsters Ukraine's military capabilities. However, reports indicate that such attacks have decreased in recent months.
Kyiv has developed long-range attack capabilities, frequently utilizing drones to strike Russian oil and gas installations that are vital for the sustenance of Russian military efforts. Recently, officials in northeastern Ukraine reported that Russian drones damaged two hospitals in the Sumy region, necessitating the evacuation of patients and staff but resulting in no injuries.
In the Bucha district, airstrikes impacted homes and businesses, injuring a 60-year-old man, while rail systems in Dnipropetrovsk faced damage due to strikes. In the southern Russian region of Krasnodar, a Ukrainian drone attack ignited a fire at an oil depot, causing no injuries. This depot serves as a rail terminal for Russian oil supplies linked to a pipeline connecting Kazakhstan to the Black Sea; however, two industry sources suggested that the attack could reduce Russian supplies to the pipeline, despite a representative of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium confirming stability in oil flows.