By Micah Jonah, February 26, 2026
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he held a phone conversation with United States President, Donald Trump to discuss ongoing peace negotiations with Russia, expressing hope that talks could soon advance to a meeting between national leaders.
The call took place on Wednesday night ahead of scheduled discussions between US and Ukrainian officials in Geneva. According to Kyiv, US envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner also joined the conversation, which lasted about 30 minutes.
Zelenskyy said the discussion focused on the agenda for the Geneva meeting and preparations for a potential trilateral summit involving Russia expected in early March. He said such a meeting at the leaders level would be the only way to resolve complex and sensitive issues and ultimately end the war.
The Ukrainian President has previously called for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as negotiations remain stalled over territorial control and security guarantees.
Thursday’s meeting in Geneva will bring together Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov with Witkoff and Kushner. Talks are expected to address a possible post war recovery framework, preparations for trilateral discussions with Moscow, and a potential prisoner exchange.
Separately, Russia’s economic envoy, Kirill Dmitriev is also expected to meet US representatives in Geneva to discuss economic matters, according to Russian state media.
The renewed diplomatic activity comes amid a broader peace push led by Trump, though significant differences remain between Moscow and Kyiv. Russia continues to demand that Ukraine cede control of the Donbas region, much of which is occupied by Russian forces. Ukraine has rejected those demands and insists that any agreement must include firm security guarantees from allies to prevent future aggression.
Zelenskyy said political will, rather than military dynamics, now poses the greatest obstacle to ending the conflict. He also noted that bilateral discussions with the United States would include economic proposals aimed at supporting Ukraine’s recovery.
A recent assessment by the World Bank estimated that rebuilding Ukraine’s economy would cost approximately 588 billion dollars, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing the country as it pursues a diplomatic resolution to Europe’s largest conflict since World War Two.
