Trump holds ‘very productive’ call with Putin ahead of Zelenskiy talks on Russia-Ukraine peace pact

US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday in what is being seen as a critical effort to advance a peace agreement aimed at ending nearly four years of war following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The diplomatic push comes as Russian forces stepped up attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities in the days ahead of the talks.

The US President said in a social media post that he had held what he described as a “good and very productive” telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin before his scheduled talks with Zelenskiy.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the call took place ahead of the 1 pm (local time) meeting and that discussions with Zelenskiy would be held in the main dining room at Mar-a-Lago, with the press invited.

“I just had a good and very productive telephone call with President Putin of Russia prior to my meeting, at 1:00 P.M. today, with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. The meeting will take place in the main dining room of Mar-a-Lago. Press is invited. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he wrote.

The Ukrainian leader is also expected to hold follow-up calls with allied leaders after his talks in Florida.

Zelenskiy has said a draft peace framework containing 20 points is “about 90% ready.” The proposal reportedly includes US security guarantees for Ukraine, potentially similar to NATO protections, in exchange for Kyiv reconsidering its bid for alliance membership.

Russia escalates strikesThe diplomatic engagement comes amid one of the heaviest rounds of Russian attacks in recent weeks. Ukrainian officials said three guided aerial bombs struck residential buildings in the eastern city of Sloviansk overnight, killing one man and injuring three others.

The assault followed Saturday’s large-scale attack on Kyiv involving ballistic missiles and drones, which left at least one person dead and 27 wounded as explosions echoed across the capital for hours.

Ahead of his meeting with Trump, Zelenskiy spoke by phone with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, briefing him on the frontline situation and the consequences of the Russian strikes.

During a meeting in Canada with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Saturday, Zelenskiy said sustained pressure on Moscow and strong international support for Ukraine were essential for achieving peace. Carney announced additional economic assistance to help Ukraine’s recovery and condemned what he called the “barbarism” of Russia’s attacks.

(With AP inputs)