Trump suggests Zelenskyy let US control Ukrainian power plant
Washington/Kyiv: US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a phone conversation on Wednesday, a day after Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as part of efforts to broker a ceasefire in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump suggested to Zelenskyy that the US take ownership of Ukrainian power plants to ensure the critical facilities’ security.
Trump told Zelenskyy that the US could be “very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise,” according to a White House statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
Trump added that “American ownership of those plants could be the best protection for that infrastructure.”
Trump, in a social media post, stated that the hour-long call with Zelenskyy was aimed at aligning Ukraine and Russia “in terms of their requests and needs.” He added, “We are very much on track.”
During Trump’s discussion with Putin on Tuesday, the Russian leader reportedly assured that energy infrastructure would not be targeted, though he did not agree to a full 30-day ceasefire. However, Zelenskyy disputed Putin’s claim, pointing to a heavy wave of drone attacks on Ukrainian cities overnight.
“Even last night, after Putin’s conversation with ... Trump, when Putin said that he was allegedly giving orders to stop strikes on Ukrainian energy, there were 150 drones launched overnight, including on energy facilities,” Zelenskyy stated at a press conference in Helsinki alongside Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
In response, the Kremlin said it had halted attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure but accused Kyiv of escalating tensions by striking a Russian facility. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov remarked, “Unfortunately, we see that for now there is no reciprocity on the part of the Kyiv regime.”
The White House characterised Trump’s talks with Putin as an initial step toward peace, with officials expressing hope for progress, including a potential maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea. However, no indication emerged that Putin had softened his conditions for ending the war—conditions strongly opposed by Kyiv. The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggested that Putin was using ceasefire discussions to pressure Ukraine into concessions. “Putin is attempting to hold the temporary ceasefire proposal hostage in order to extract preemptive concessions ahead of formal negotiations to end the war,” the ISW stated in an analysis.
Finnish President Stubb acknowledged that discussions between Trump and Putin were a step forward but stressed that Russia must halt its aggression. “There are only two ways to respond to the proposal of the president of the United States: it’s a yes or a no—no buts, no conditions,” Stubb said.
“Ukraine accepted a ceasefire without any forms of conditions. If Russia refuses to agree, we need to increase our efforts to strengthen Ukraine and ratchet up pressure on Russia to convince them to come to the negotiating table,” he added.
Meanwhile, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said on social media that he and Russian counterpart Yuri Ushakov agreed to organise a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss further steps in implementing a partial ceasefire. It remains unclear whether Ukrainian officials will be invited.
Shortly after Trump and Putin spoke on Tuesday, air raid sirens blared in Kyiv as explosions rocked the city. According to Zelenskyy, several strikes targeted civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, railway lines, and residential buildings.
Russian drones were detected over multiple Ukrainian regions, including Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy, and Poltava. The Russian Defence Ministry said it had launched seven drones targeting military-related energy facilities in Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region but had intercepted them in compliance with Putin’s order.Moscow accused Ukraine of retaliating by attacking a Russian energy facility in the Krasnodar region near Crimea. According to the Russian government, three drones struck oil transfer equipment linked to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, causing a fire. “It is absolutely clear that we are talking about yet another provocation deliberately concocted by the Kyiv regime, aimed at derailing the peace initiatives of the U.S. president,” the Russian Defence Ministry said. Russia also claimed to have intercepted 57 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions, including Kursk, Bryansk, Oryol, and Tula.
Zelenskyy, however, dismissed the notion that Ukraine was to blame. “If the Russians don’t hit our facilities, we definitely won’t hit theirs,” he said.
Zelenskyy rejected a key Russian demand that Western nations halt military aid and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine. He argued that such a move would weaken Ukraine’s defences and prolong the war. “I don’t think anybody should make any concessions in terms of helping Ukraine, but rather, assistance to Ukraine should be increased,” he said. “This will be a signal that Ukraine is ready for any surprises from the Russians.” Nigel Gould-Davies, senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said Putin’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire was predictable. “It’s completely unsurprising that Putin rejected the ceasefire, and it’s imprudent for him to tell President Trump that directly, since Trump has made ending the war a very, very high priority.”
He added, “What we have now, in effect, is a competition or rivalry between Kyiv and Moscow to persuade Trump that it’s the other side that is responsible for preventing Trump from achieving his goal of ending the war.”
One of the most challenging aspects of future negotiations, Zelenskyy said, would be the issue of territorial concessions. “For us, the red line is the recognition of the Ukrainian temporarily occupied territories as Russian. We will not go for it.” As diplomatic efforts continue, the war on the ground shows no signs of slowing, leaving the prospect of a full ceasefire uncertain.
