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The President of the United States, Donald Trump, held a telephone conversation this Sunday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, just hours before his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, scheduled for the afternoon at his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
“I just had a very positive and productive phone conversation with President Putin,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social network, as reported by the White House account on X.
The call took place shortly before the key meeting with Zelenskyy, scheduled for 1:00 PM (Eastern Time), 6:00 PM GMT.
The meeting with the Ukrainian president aims to progress towards an agreement that will end the war that began with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a conflict nearing its four-year mark that has resulted in thousands of deaths, displacements, and deep economic devastation, reported the television network NBC News.
Zelenskyy announced that the meeting will address economic and security agreements, as well as territorial issues, particularly the future of the Donbas region, where Moscow and Kiev hold irreconcilable positions.
The meeting also takes place against the backdrop of an escalation in Russian attacks on Kiev, involving the use of missiles and drones in the days leading up to it.
"Ukraine is willing to do whatever it takes to stop this war," Zelenskyy wrote on Saturday on X, while demanding a firm stance from Europe and the United States to pressure Moscow. "We want peace, and Russia shows its desire to continue the war," he added.
In parallel, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced this weekend a new economic aid package of 2.5 billion Canadian dollars, equivalent to about 1.8 billion US dollars, aimed at the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Carney described the recent Russian attacks as acts of "barbarism" and spoke about the need for a "just and lasting peace."
According to Zelenskyy, the draft of the peace plan discussed with the United States is approximately 90% ready, although there are still sensitive issues to resolve, such as security guarantees, funding for the country's recovery, and the status of occupied territories, including the Zaporiyia nuclear power plant.
From Moscow, the Kremlin has reiterated its demands. Putin insists that the areas occupied in four regions of eastern and southern Ukraine, as well as the Crimean peninsula, which was illegally annexed in 2014, be recognized as Russian territory. Kyiv has repeatedly rejected these conditions, considering them unacceptable.
Trump, for his part, has shown a more receptive stance towards exploring territorial concessions as part of a potential agreement, arguing that this is the only way to persuade Putin to stop the war.
Nevertheless, the U.S. president himself has acknowledged in recent weeks the complexity of reaching a final agreement.
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