Trump Tells Zelensky He Wants Ukraine War Ended Within a Month

In a recent phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky 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, marked 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 he wants to end the conflict as quickly as possible.

During the call, which was described as very friendly and positive, Zelensky reportedly thanked Trump for all U.S. Assistance and stated that only Trump could compel Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the war. Zelensky expressed hope that the war would end this year, to which Trump responded that it had already lasted too long and he would prefer it to be over within a month.

The call preceded a meeting in Geneva between Trump's envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, and Zelensky's negotiation team. Kushner and Witkoff also participated in Wednesday's call with Zelensky. A separate meeting in Geneva involving Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev and the American envoys is also reportedly possible.

A central topic of discussion was the potential for a three-way summit involving Trump, Zelensky, and Putin. Zelensky has previously suggested that remaining territorial disputes could be resolved through direct negotiations at this highest level. Trump told Zelensky he would work towards organizing such a summit if progress is made at the next round of U.S.-Russia-Ukraine talks scheduled for early March.

However, significant hurdles remain. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Wednesday that Putin would only meet with Zelensky to finalize an already-agreed peace deal. Furthermore, serious disagreements persist between Ukraine and Russia, particularly regarding territorial control in eastern Ukraine.

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