Trump Tells Zelenskyy He Wants Ukraine War Ended Within a Month

In a recent phone call, former U.S. President Donald Trump expressed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy his desire to see the war with Russia concluded within a month, with the aim of securing a peace agreement by summer.

The half-hour conversation, which took place on Wednesday, was the first direct contact between the two leaders since their meeting in Davos at the end of January. According to sources familiar with the discussion, Trump stated that the conflict has lasted too long and he wants to facilitate its swift end.

President Zelenskyy reportedly told Trump he hopes the war will end this year. In response, Trump agreed it has been protracted and said he would like it finished in one month's time. The call was described as very friendly and positive.

During their talk, Zelenskyy thanked Trump for all past assistance and suggested that only Trump could compel Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the war. The leaders also discussed the possibility of organizing a three-way summit involving Putin.

Zelenskyy has previously stated that remaining territorial disputes could be resolved through direct negotiations between himself, Trump, and Putin. He reiterated this position on social media platform X, writing that elevating talks to the leader level is "the only way to resolve all complex and delicate issues and finally end the war."

Trump told Zelenskyy he would work toward arranging such a trilateral summit if progress is made at an upcoming meeting of U.S., Russian, and Ukrainian representatives scheduled for early March.

However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Wednesday that President Putin would only meet with President Zelenskyy to finalize an already-agreed peace deal.

According to a Ukrainian official, Trump also confirmed his readiness to provide Ukraine with significant U.S. Security guarantees as part of any potential peace agreement with Russia.

The call occurred ahead of a meeting in Geneva between Trump's envoys—Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff—and Zelenskyy's negotiation team. Kushner and Witkoff also participated in Wednesday's call with Zelenskyy. A separate meeting in Geneva may involve Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev.

Despite these diplomatic moves, significant disagreements persist between Ukraine and Russia, particularly concerning territorial control in eastern Ukraine.