US President Donald Trump reportedly told President Volodymyr Zelensky that he wants to end Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine within a month.
As reported by Axios, citing sources familiar with their latest phone call, Trump said he hopes to push for a peace agreement as soon as possible, with one source saying he believes the war “has been going on for far too long” and that he would like to see it end within a month.
The 30-minute conversation was described by three sources as friendly and positive.
During the conversation, Zelensky thanked Trump for US support and said only Trump could persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the war, one source said. Zelensky expressed hope that the war could end this year.
The two leaders also discussed the possibility of a trilateral summit involving Trump, Zelensky and Putin. Trump said he would work toward such a meeting if upcoming negotiations between US, Russian and Ukrainian officials in early March show progress.
Trump also reiterated his willingness to provide Ukraine with substantial US security guarantees as part of a potential peace settlement, a Ukrainian official told Axios.
The call took place a day after the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion and shortly before planned talks in Geneva between US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff and members of Zelensky’s negotiating team. Kushner and Witkoff also participated in the call.
Russian economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev may attend separate meetings in Geneva, according to an unnamed source cited by Axios. Russian state media outlet TASS also reported that he would attend, according to AFP, in order to discuss economic issues with US officials.
Following his talks with Trump, Zelensky said on social media that they discussed the agenda for upcoming negotiations in Geneva, as well as preparations for a trilateral meeting of the full negotiating teams in early March.
“We expect this meeting to create an opportunity to move talks to the leaders’ level. President Trump supports this sequence of steps. This is the only way to resolve all the complex and sensitive issues and finally end the war,” Zelensky wrote.
The Ukrainian leader has previously stated that a direct meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is necessary to resolve the most difficult issues.
Ukraine and the US are set to open a new round of talks in Geneva on Thursday aimed at ending Russia’s four-year invasion, even as Moscow launched fresh overnight strikes across Ukraine.
The Geneva meeting will bring together Ukraine’s lead negotiator, former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and Trump’s envoys, Witkoff and Kushner. A full trilateral session including Russia is expected to take place in early March.
Kyiv hopes tangible progress in Geneva will pave the way for negotiations at the leaders’ level.
Hours before the meeting, Russian forces launched a wave of pre-dawn attacks. Explosions were heard in central Kyiv after authorities warned of incoming aerial threats.
The Ukrainian Air Force said high-speed targets were heading toward the capital, and city officials later confirmed that Russia used drones and ballistic missiles.
Strikes were also reported in the Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, with local authorities saying dozens of people were injured.
The talks remain deadlocked, primarily over the future of the Donbas in eastern Ukraine. Russia is demanding full control of the Donetsk region and has threatened to seize it by force if Kyiv refuses.
Ukraine has rejected the demand and insists it will not agree to any deal without firm security guarantees to prevent future aggression.