Zelenskyy urges Trump to harness Gaza ceasefire momentum to broker peace in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged U.S. President Donald Trump to use the momentum from the newly brokered Gaza ceasefire to push for a pathway to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, following what both sides described as a “very positive and productive” phone call on Saturday.

Zelenskyy said the deal that paused fighting and paved the way for hostage releases in the Middle East showed that “if one war can be stopped, surely other wars can be stopped as well,” calling for coordinated U.S.-European action to pressure Moscow and fortify Ukraine’s defenses while a diplomatic track is explored.

According to Ukrainian and U.S. readouts summarized by multiple outlets, the leaders discussed a possible package of additional air-defense systems, sanctions tightening, and the potential transfer of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles via allied inventories, steps Kyiv argues would increase leverage on the Kremlin to enter serious talks.

Trump has recently hinted he is considering allowing NATO countries to supply Tomahawks to Ukraine; Russia has warned such a move would be escalatory.

Zelenskyy linked his appeal to Ukraine’s immediate security needs amid an intensified Russian campaign targeting energy infrastructure, which has triggered rolling blackouts and civilian casualties across several regions over the past 48 hours.

He also urged rapid movement on using immobilized Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction, and welcomed signs of coordination among key European partners.

Saturday’s call follows months of Kyiv’s outreach to Washington to secure firmer U.S. guarantees in any eventual settlement framework. Earlier this year, Trump said the United States would help assure Ukraine’s security in a future peace deal, though details remain to be negotiated with allies and conditioned on Russia’s conduct.

For Kyiv, converting the diplomatic momentum from the Gaza ceasefire into progress on Ukraine will depend on simultaneous military resilience, tighter sanctions enforcement, and a credible mechanism for negotiations that does not reward aggression or concede territory under duress.

Sources:C BS News, Axios, The Guardian, Reuters, Al Jazeera