Yesterday, there was a conversation between Trump Zelensky, which was part of peace negotiations that have been ongoing for several weeks. First, the U.S. president had a phone call with Putin, and the next day, he called Kyiv. After the call, both sides acknowledged that there is hope for a lasting peace this year and for a ceasefire soon. But what will it cost Ukraine? It seems that rare earth metals might not be the final price Washington demands.
The Trump Zelensky Conversation: What Was It About?
“A significant portion of the over hour-long discussion focused on my conversation yesterday with President Putin, which aimed to align the positions of Russia and Ukraine regarding their requests and needs,” Trump wrote on his platform, Truth Social.
Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky informed Donald Trump about the current situation on the battlefield and Ukraine’s needs for air defense systems to protect its cities. The Ukrainian president reaffirmed his administration’s position from a few days ago in Saudi Arabia, stating that Kyiv is ready to cease attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure and accept an unconditional ceasefire on the front.
Trump to Look for Air Defense Systems… in Europe
The White House confirmed that the President of Ukraine requested additional Patriot air defense systems from the U.S. president. Trump promised to “find them in Europe.”
A statement from the White House following the Trump-Zelensky conversation was read by U.S. administration spokesperson Caroline Levitt. It revealed, among other things, that Trump also discussed Ukraine’s power plants, including nuclear plants. According to Trump, the best protection for these facilities would be for Americans to take control of them.
At this time, we do not know how Volodymyr Zelensky responded to this proposal.
Russia: Ukrainian Mobilization is Genocide
During the day-before-yesterday conversation, Putin reiterated Russia’s demands for the conditions of a 30-day ceasefire. The Russian dictator is demanding a complete halt to all military aid to Ukraine during that time, including stopping the provision of intelligence. Furthermore, Putin wants recognition of Russia’s authority over the occupied Ukrainian territories, an end to mobilization across the country, and the disarmament of Ukraine, limiting its military to 50,000 soldiers. Currently, about 850,000 Ukrainians and over a million Russians are fighting on the front.
Kremlin spokesperson Maria Zakharova wrote on social media that “mobilization in Ukraine will one day be included in history textbooks, described as genocide against the Ukrainian people.”
Donald Trump Optimistic About Moscow
U.S. President Donald Trump continues to express strong optimism regarding talks with the Kremlin. “We have had very good and productive conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and there is a strong chance that this terrible, bloody war will finally come to an end,” Trump wrote on his platform, Truth Social.
Mike Waltz recently mentioned that he discussed Trump’s proposals with Yuri Ushakov, an advisor to the Russian president. “We agreed that our teams would meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the coming days to focus on implementing and expanding the partial ceasefire that President Trump achieved with Russia,” Waltz posted on X.
Meanwhile, Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, told The Guardian that the talks set to take place on March 23 in Saudi Arabia will be bilateral meetings between the U.S. and Russia. Ukraine does not plan to participate, according to BBC reports.
