Trump speaks with Zelenskyy after he was ‘disappointed’ in call with Putin
The Ukrainian leader described the call as broadly positive.
President Donald Trump spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Friday, just a day after he talked with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in a call that he has described as a disappointment amid his attempts to end the war in Ukraine.
According to a broadly positive readout of Friday’s call posted to social media by Zelenskyy, the two leaders had a “very important and fruitful conversation” in which they discussed Ukraine’s air defense, joint defense production and “mutual procurement and investment.”
The call came after the U.S. paused weapons shipments to Ukraine, citing concerns that the U.S. stockpiles were running low, a move first reported by POLITICO.
The White House has yet to provide a readout of Trump’s Friday call with Zelenskyy.
The conversation also followed a call between Trump and Putin on Thursday, which Trump said did not achieve any progress in his goal to end the war.
Trump has long sought to end the war in Ukraine, having promised during his campaign to do so within 24 hours. But the war has continued to drag on, with Trump appearing to grow increasingly frustrated with Putin’s refusal to cooperate fully in the negotiations.
Trump said he was “very disappointed” with Thursday’s conversation with his Russian counterpart, telling reporters aboard Air Force One early Friday morning, “I don’t think he’s looking to stop” the war.
“I was not happy with the conversation,” Trump repeated.