U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a long phone call early Saturday morning. The conversation took place just hours after Trump landed in Maryland, returning from his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Trump spent much of his flight discussing the summit and updating Zelensky. Later, he also spoke with key NATO and European Union leaders to brief them on the situation.
Zelensky confirmed the call and announced that he would meet Trump in Washington on Monday. He described the discussion as “long and meaningful,” stressing Ukraine’s commitment to ending the war. According to Zelensky, Trump shared major takeaways from his meeting with Putin. Zelensky welcomed the idea of future peace efforts and showed interest in a possible trilateral meeting with Russia and the U.S.
However, a senior Kremlin official said no three-way meeting was discussed in Alaska. Yuri Ushakov, a top aide to Putin, said the summit only focused on U.S.-Russia relations. This statement came after Trump had suggested that both Putin and Zelensky were open to a joint meeting. Despite the Kremlin’s denial, Trump said he would play a role if invited by both sides.
Meanwhile, the phone call between Trump and Zelensky later included top European leaders. Participants in the extended call included France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Finland, and EU and NATO officials also joined. This rare joint discussion reflected growing urgency to address the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Monday’s meeting between Trump and Zelensky is expected to explore all possible solutions for peace. Both leaders hope to build momentum after the Alaska summit. While no ceasefire has been achieved yet, diplomatic efforts are now gaining speed. Global leaders continue to look to Washington for leadership in resolving the war.