The White House on Monday confirmed US President Donald Trump held what it described as a “positive” phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, focusing on the war in Ukraine, indicating fresh diplomatic movement on a conflict now stretching into its third year.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the call in a brief statement, giving no further details. The call comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outlined a parallel, step-by-step diplomatic roadmap being developed with Washington and European allies, aimed at shaping the next phase of negotiations and long-term security arrangements.
Zelensky on the way forward
Zelensky said Kyiv and Washington were working on a sequencing strategy that would move gradually from technical-level coordination to high-level political meetings. The immediate priority, he explained, is a meeting of national security advisers from Ukraine, the US and Europe, which he expects to be held in Ukraine in the coming days.
Following this, Ukraine plans to prepare key documents at the advisers’ level before convening a broader meeting of European leaders alongside Kyiv, including members of the so-called “Coalition of the Willing.” Zelenskyy said consultations with European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, were already underway.
He added that the process would eventually culminate in a multilateral meeting involving President Trump and European allies, where final documents would be endorsed at the leadership level. If progress continues as planned, Ukraine would then be prepared to enter talks with Russia in agreed formats.
Zelensky also revealed that discussions with Trump had yielded firm commitments on US security guarantees for Ukraine. According to him, Washington has agreed to provide strong guarantees lasting 15 years, with the option to extend them further.
Zelensky on Security guarantees
Given that Ukraine’s conflict with Russia has already lasted more than a decade in various forms, Zelensky said Kyiv would prefer guarantees spanning several decades, calling such a move a potentially historic decision by the US president. Trump, he noted, agreed to consider the proposal.
Crucially, Zelenskyy said Trump had confirmed that the agreed security guarantees would be submitted to the US Congress for approval, describing this as a major step toward a binding and credible arrangement.
Beyond security, the Ukrainian leader said talks also covered a post-war economic recovery package, including expanded US business involvement in Ukraine, preferential development conditions and progress toward a bilateral free trade agreement. He added that negotiations on a broader 20-point plan were nearing another breakthrough.