Volodymyr Zelensky speaks with Donald Trump, says talks should lead to a meeting of the leaders with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a telephone conversation on Wednesday with US President Donald Trump.
Zelensky said he and Trump agreed that the next trilateral meeting in March should lead to a meeting of the countries' leaders.
He said trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States would take place early next month. US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner also took part in the call.
"We expect this meeting to create an opportunity to take the talks to the leadership level. President Trump supports this sequence of steps," Zelensky wrote on social media.
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"This is the only way to resolve all the complex and sensitive issues and finally end the war."
The call took place on the eve of another meeting, just between Ukrainian and American negotiators, to discuss post-war reconstruction.
Zelensky said the two leaders discussed both meetings. He thanked the United States for its "active involvement" in the peace process and for the missiles and air defense systems that are helping Ukraine withstand attacks during the winter.
Speaking at a press conference in Kiev earlier on Wednesday, alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, Zelensky said Thursday's meeting would include discussion of a "prosperity package."
Zelensky said the US wants to find a way to quickly end Europe's biggest conflict since World War II. But Moscow and Kiev remain far apart in their positions.
"In my opinion, the difficulties are not at the military level now. The problem lies in the political will to end this war and the issue of territories," Zelensky said.
"I think the trilateral talks will be held in early March. Tomorrow, economic documents will be prepared at a bilateral meeting between Ukraine and the United States."
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Zelensky also said that Russian allegations on Tuesday that Kiev was trying to secure nuclear weapons were an attempt to exert political pressure on Ukraine during the talks.
He reiterated that Ukraine does not have nuclear weapons and called on the US to respond to what he described as dangerous Russian rhetoric.
