Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told President Trump in a phone call on Wednesday that he supports the proposal for Russia and Ukraine to halt attacks on energy infrastructure as a first step toward a ceasefire and lasting peace deal.
“Ending strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure could be the first step toward fully ending the war and ensuring security. Volodymyr Zelenskyy supported this step, and Ukraine confirmed its readiness to implement it,” Zelensky’s office said in a readout of the call.
Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to the infrastructure ceasefire in a call with Trump on Tuesday. Ukraine and Russia traded accusations of attacks on energy infrastructure on Wednesday, but it’s unclear if the partial ceasefire has formally started.
In a US statement on the call, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said that President Trump had agreed to help Ukraine procure more air defenses. “President Zelensky asked for additional air defense systems to protect his civilians, particularly Patriot missile systems, President Trump agreed to work with him to find what was available, particularly in Europe,” the statement said.
The US and Ukraine initially proposed a full ceasefire for 30 days, but Russian President Vladimir Putin had several conditions, including a guarantee that the US would stop supplying military equipment to Ukraine.
The US statement on the Trump-Zelensky call also said that President Trump proposed the idea of the US taking ownership of Ukrainian energy infrastructure, similar to how he wants the US to have a piece of Ukrainian rare earth minerals and other natural resources.
“President Trump also discussed Ukraine’s electrical supply and nuclear power plants. He said that the United States could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise,” the statement said. “American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure.”
Waltz also said on Wednesday that he spoke with Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Putin, and agreed that US and Russian officials would meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days. “We agreed our technical teams would meet in Riyadh in the coming days to focus on implementing and expanding the partial ceasefire President Trump secured from Russia,” Waltz wrote on X.
