President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke on Wednesday in what both sides described as a productive and substantive discussion.

The call followed Trump’s negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which led to a preliminary agreement aimed at de-escalating the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Trump took to Truth Social immediately after the call, stating:

“Just completed a very good telephone call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. Much of the discussion was based on the call made yesterday with President Putin in order to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs. We are very much on track.”

Zelenskyy echoed Trump’s optimism, calling the conversation “positive, very substantive, and frank.”

“I thanked him for a good and productive start to the work of the Ukrainian and American teams in Jeddah on March 11—this meeting of the teams significantly helped in moving toward ending the war,” Zelenskyy stated on social media.

He added that Ukraine and the United States should continue working together under Trump’s leadership to achieve a lasting peace this year.

Putin’s Limited Ceasefire and Prisoner Exchange

Despite the Trump-Putin negotiations, Putin only agreed to a 30-day halt on attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, falling short of the full ceasefire originally hoped for by the Trump administration.

However, there was progress on prisoner exchanges. As part of the deal:

175 Ukrainian soldiers and 22 “defenders” were released from Russian captivity.
23 seriously wounded Ukrainians were returned in a “gesture of goodwill.”

Just moments after his call with Trump, Zelenskyy confirmed the exchange, sharing a photo of returning soldiers wrapped in Ukrainian flags.

“We are also grateful to all our partners, especially the United Arab Emirates, for making today’s exchange possible,” Zelenskyy said, notably omitting any mention of U.S. involvement.

Trump Envoy: Full Ceasefire ‘Achievable in Weeks’

Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, expressed confidence that a full ceasefire could be reached within weeks, despite skepticism from Ukraine and European allies.

He also hinted that a Trump-Putin meeting is “likely to happen” as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz prepare to return to Saudi Arabia on Sunday to discuss the next phase of negotiations.

It remains unclear whether Ukrainian representatives will also attend talks in Saudi Arabia.

Zelenskyy: ‘Putin Rejected Full Ceasefire’

While acknowledging the progress in negotiations, Zelenskyy made clear that Putin was not yet serious about ending the war.

“Putin effectively rejected the proposal for a full ceasefire,” Zelenskyy wrote in a statement on X.

He called on the international community to increase pressure on Moscow, urging stronger sanctions against Russia, continued military aid to Ukraine, and security guarantees for Kyiv.

“Only a real cessation of strikes on civilian infrastructure by Russia, as proof of its willingness to end this war, can bring peace closer,” Zelenskyy argued.

Some European leaders and Ukrainian officials expressed disappointment that Trump was unable to secure a stronger commitment from Putin, particularly after Ukraine had already agreed to a separate deal last week that Putin rejected.

Trump, however, defended his strategy in an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, stating: