End of war? Trump, Zelensky had a ‘very good’ talk

International

US President Donald Trump disclosed that he had a “very good” hour-long phone call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Shortly after the phone call, Zelensky said he believed that "lasting peace can be achieved this year" under Trump's leadership, a BBC report said.

Trump talked with Zelensky a day after speaking to Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

According to the White House, a possible US ownership of Ukraine's nuclear power plants was discussed, although Zelensky later stated this was only about the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia facility.

Prior to the recent talk, Zelensky visited the White House in which he and Trump, along with US Vice-President JD Vance, got into a heated exchange.

The recent conversation marked the first time the two leaders have spoken since the meeting in the Oval Office last month - although since then, their teams have met in Saudi Arabia and negotiated a proposed 30-day ceasefire, the report added.

Putin has rejected the proposal for a widespread ceasefire during his phone call with the US president on Tuesday.

Zelensky, on the other hand, was open to a partial ceasefire involving a halt on strikes on energy infrastructure, rail and port facilities that could be established quickly - but the Ukrainian president warned his country would retaliate if Moscow violated the terms of the ceasefire.

"I understand that until we agree [with Russia], until there is a corresponding document on even a partial ceasefire, I think that everything will fly," Zelesky was quoted in the BBC report.