Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed Wednesday to a limited ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, as U.S. During a phone call with the leader of the troubled nation, President Donald Trump suggested that the United States consider ownership of Ukraine’s power plants to ensure their long-term safety. Trump told Zelenskyy that the U.S could be “very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise,” according to a White House statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz that described the call as “fantastic.”
Following the roughly one-hour call, Zelenskyy posted on social media, “One of the first steps toward fully ending the war could be ending strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure.” This statement came a day after Trump held similar talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I supported this step, and Ukraine confirmed that we are ready to implement it.”
Trump suggested “American ownership of those plants could be the best protection for that infrastructure,” according to White House officials. White House officials did not provide any additional details about Trump’s thoughts regarding a possible American involvement with a Ukrainian power plant, despite the fact that the Trump administration is working to finalize an agreement to gain access to Ukraine’s crucial minerals as a partial repayment for U.S. support for Ukraine during the war. Weeks after a disastrous Oval Office meeting between the two leaders that led to Trump temporarily pausing intelligence sharing and military aid to Ukraine, Trump and Zelenskyy had “a very good conversation” in which they joked around, according to a senior Ukrainian official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to comment publicly. There was an emphasis during the call on how any ceasefire process would need to be monitored and how the various negotiating teams would still need to resolve technical issues, the official said.
During the call, Zelenskyy requested additional Patriot defense missile systems. Rubio and Waltz said Trump “agreed to work with him to find what was available, particularly in Europe.” Trump has made it clear that his new administration’s top priority is to end the war quickly. He has repeatedly complained about the cost — the U.S. has sent Ukraine more than $180 billion in military and economic aid since the start of the war.
Trump told Putin on Tuesday that he would agree not to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, but he wouldn’t back a full 30-day ceasefire that Trump proposed. Zelenskyy signed off on the limited ceasefire deal to halt strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, according to the White House.
According to the Kremlin, Putin made clear to Trump that there must be a cessation of foreign military aide and intelligence sharing as part of any deal. However, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, emphasized on Wednesday that U.S. “intelligence sharing in terms of defense for Ukraine” would continue.
Zelenskyy accepts limited Ukraine ceasefire as Trump floats energy takeover
