Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky engaged in a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, as confirmed by the Ukrainian presidency. This communication followed Trump's discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with Trump indicating his intention to brief Zelensky on the exchange with the Russian leader.
The dialogue between Trump and Putin encompassed various subjects, notably addressing Russia's ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Officials within the Trump administration expressed optimism that this interaction could potentially pave the way for renewed efforts to bring an end to the conflict, which is on the brink of entering its fourth year.
Trump had been hinting at his eagerness to engage with Putin as part of his endeavors to seek a resolution to the Ukraine crisis. In a separate development, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO headquarters in Brussels, categorically dismissed the possibility of Ukraine attaining membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Hegseth also asserted that it is unrealistic to anticipate a restoration of Ukraine's borders to their pre-2014 state following the annexation of Crimea.
