U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his desire to see an end to the war in Ukraine within a month during a recent phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This conversation marked their first direct communication since their meeting in Davos at the end of January.
The 30-minute discussion was described as friendly and constructive, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Zelensky reportedly thanked Trump for the support the U.S. has provided and emphasized that he believes only Trump can persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt the conflict.
“Zelensky mentioned his hope for the war to conclude this year, to which Trump replied that the conflict has dragged on for too long and he would like to see it end within a month,” a source revealed.
Among the topics discussed was the possibility of a trilateral summit involving the leaders of the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia. This call took place the day after the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and just before Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were set to meet with Zelensky’s negotiation team in Geneva.
Reports indicate that Kushner and Witkoff participated in the phone call as well. Additionally, it has been suggested that Putin’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, may also be in Geneva for separate discussions with the American representatives.
Since the beginning of 2026, three rounds of peace talks have occurred between Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia. Progress has reportedly been made on military aspects of the negotiations, particularly concerning the principles of a monitoring mission in the event of a ceasefire.
However, Axios has reported that the political side of the talks has stalled, largely due to positions articulated by Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky. Specific details of his statements remain unclear, but it is known that Russia continues to demand control over the Donbas region.
Recently, Zelensky indicated that the U.S. shares a similar stance, suggesting that Ukraine should withdraw from the Donbas to facilitate a quicker resolution to the war. Today, February 26, a meeting is scheduled in Geneva between Witkoff and Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, which will occur without Russian participation. Following this meeting, another round of trilateral talks with the Russian side may take place in March.
In a recent phone call, President Trump conveyed his wish to resolve the Ukraine conflict within a month, while President Zelensky expressed gratitude for U.S. support. The discussion included potential future summits and ongoing peace negotiations, which have seen both progress and setbacks.