Ushakov said Trump and Putin spoke for nearly an hour. He said the Russian president said he was open to a “negotiated solution” to end the fighting.
But he added that Putin “will not step back from its goals” in the conflict.
Hours before the phone call, Zelensky met European leaders in the Danish city of Aarhus to shore up military support for his country and set out a path for Ukraine to join 27 other nations as a member of the EU – a prospect Putin strongly rejects.
Zelensky, speaking to reporters alongside the EU leaders, questioned whether Trump and Putin could find common ground in their phone call and declared Ukraine was prepared to strike a peace deal but said Russia would not agree.
“We supported from the very beginning the idea of President Trump [for an] unconditional ceasefire,” he said.
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Zelensky added that he was ready for “any kind of format” for a peace meeting but argued it had to include Putin himself. The Russian leader sent low-level officials to the last talks with Ukraine.
“I think that in Russia, only Putin [is the] real decision maker,” Zelensky said. “That’s why we need [a] meeting on the level of leaders if we really want peace.”
Russia launched another wave of drones across Ukraine on Thursday night, the Kyiv Independent news site reported, sending civilians into bomb shelters. The attacks came in the early hours of Friday morning in Australia. Kyiv Independent journalists reported hearing multiple rounds of explosions in the capital.
On Thursday, Major General Mikhail Gudkov – the deputy head of Russia’s navy who also led a brigade fighting against Ukraine – was reported killed in Russia’s Kursk region. He is one of the most senior Russian military officers to have been killed by Ukraine since Moscow launched its full-scale war against Ukraine in 2022.
The EU meeting in Aarhus marked the start of Denmark’s presidency of the union over the next six months, giving Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen more sway over policy to back Ukraine.
In this photo provided by Ukraine’s Territorial Defence press service, soldiers shoot at Russian targets near Kharkiv on Wednesday. Credit: AP
Frederiksen said the US should continue its military support for Ukraine, but also argued that Europe should “fill the gap” if necessary.
“The war in Ukraine has never been about Ukraine – it’s about Europe,” she said in a press conference alongside Zelensky, von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa.
“And, therefore, if we are to protect Ukraine and Europe and the trans-Atlantic alliance, we have to ensure that Ukraine gets the help that you need.
“All of us hope that [the] US will continue their support for Ukraine, and because of Ukraine, for Europe. But if there are any gaps, then I personally believe that we should be willing to fill in.”
With Bloomberg, Reuters
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