Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
US President Donald Trump revealed that he held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin just hours before a critical meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, underscoring the growing diplomatic intensity surrounding the war in Ukraine.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the conversation with Putin was “very good and highly productive,” and confirmed it took place shortly before his scheduled meeting with Zelensky at 1:00 p.m. local time on Sunday. Trump added that the talks with the Ukrainian leader would be held in the main dining hall of his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, with members of the press present.
The timing of the Trump–Putin call drew particular attention, coming amid heavy Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. The renewed bombardment added urgency to Zelensky’s talks with Trump, which are widely seen as pivotal amid shifting international dynamics and uncertainty over the future direction of US engagement in the conflict.
According to the Kremlin, this was the first direct conversation between Trump and Putin since October, when the two leaders had agreed in principle to hold a summit in Budapest. That meeting was later abruptly canceled by Trump, who said at the time that he believed it would be “a waste of time.” Despite the cancellation, contacts between the two sides appear to have continued behind the scenes.
Yuri Ushakov, a senior aide to the Russian president, said that Putin and Trump had agreed to speak again following Trump’s meeting with Zelensky. Ushakov disclosed that the latest phone call lasted approximately one hour and 15 minutes, during which the two leaders expressed what he described as a shared view that a temporary ceasefire would only prolong the conflict rather than resolve it.
Ushakov characterized the conversation as “friendly, firm, and professional,” noting that Putin welcomed Trump’s proposal to establish special working groups focused on security and economic issues. These teams, he said, would continue discussions aimed at reaching a broader political settlement to end the war.
The Kremlin aide also pointed to developments on the battlefield, saying that “given the situation along the front lines,” Ukraine would soon need to make decisions regarding the future of the Donbas region. The eastern territory, partially occupied by Russian forces, remains a central objective for Moscow and a core point of contention in any potential negotiations.
Trump’s engagement with both Moscow and Kyiv places him in a delicate position, as he seeks to present himself as a potential deal-maker capable of ending the conflict, while facing scrutiny at home and abroad over his approach to Russia. For Zelensky, the Florida meeting represents a crucial opportunity to press Ukraine’s case directly, particularly as Russian military pressure intensifies and questions persist over long-term Western support.
As diplomacy unfolds against the backdrop of continued fighting, the sequence of Trump’s call with Putin followed by talks with Zelensky highlights the complex and high-stakes maneuvering now shaping the next phase of efforts to address one of Europe’s most consequential conflicts in decades.
