Washington, D.C. — U.S. President Donald Trump phoned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky while flying back to Washington after a three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The call was made from Air Force One, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who said Trump also spoke with NATO leaders during the flight to brief them on the outcome of the talks.
Zelensky to Travel to Washington
Following the call, President Zelensky announced he would travel to Washington on Monday. He said Trump had personally invited him for direct discussions and thanked him for the opportunity, adding that he was ready to pursue efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Zelensky stressed that he remained committed to doing everything possible to achieve peace in his country.
Speaking to Fox News after his meeting with Putin, Trump described the Alaska talks as productive, noting progress on several points but emphasizing that no final agreement had been reached. “There has been agreement on a number of points, but an agreement is only an agreement once it is complete,” Trump said. He added that the next steps would depend on Zelensky and European leaders, and confirmed preparations were already underway for another high-level meeting.
Putin’s Conditions and European Response
Russian President Putin, meanwhile, repeated his conditions for a ceasefire. According to The New York Times, he set out four demands: that large parts of Ukrainian territory remain under Russian control, that Ukraine reduce its armed forces, that Ukraine not join NATO, and that its government be replaced. These terms have been rejected by Ukraine and Western governments.
European leaders also spoke with Trump in a virtual meeting before and after his talks with Putin. They made clear that any settlement undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty or territorial integrity would not be acceptable. In response, Trump assured them that decisions on land and sovereignty would rest with Ukraine itself.
Although the Trump–Putin talks marked an initial step, a comprehensive resolution remains elusive. The planned Trump–Zelensky meeting in Washington on Monday is being viewed as a potentially decisive moment in the push for peace.
