Trump says he had ‘a very good phone call’ with Zelensky, discussed Russia-Ukraine war

By Kristen Holmes, CNN

(CNN) — Former President Donald Trump said he “had a very good phone call” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.

The call between the two leaders, who have had a complicated relationship, marks their first conversation since Trump left the White House and comes the day after he formally accepted the Republican Party’s nomination for president. It also comes amid concerns in Europe about what Trump’s policy toward the Russia-Ukraine war would be if he were to win the presidential election in November.

“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine and I had a very good phone call earlier today. He congratulated me on a very successful Republican National Convention and becoming the Republican nominee for President of the United States,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “He condemned the heinous assassination attempt last Saturday and remarked about the American people coming together in the spirit of Unity during these times.”

Trump continued, “I appreciate President Zelenskyy for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families. Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity.”

In a post on X describing the call, Zelensky said he congratulated Trump on his nomination and condemned the “shocking assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.”

“I wished him strength and absolute safety in the future,” he said. “I noted the vital bipartisan and bicameral American support for protecting our nation’s freedom and independence.”

Zelensky concluded, “We agreed with President Trump to discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting.”

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Trump has repeatedly said he could settle the Ukraine war in a day, but it remains unclear how he would pursue peace.

In last month’s CNN presidential debate, Trump said that Putin’s terms for an agreement – which would include Ukraine ceding the four territories currently occupied by Russia – are “not acceptable.” But the former president and his allies have also criticized sending US military aid to Kyiv.

But the former president and his allies have also criticized US military aid to Kyiv.

Trump has long been critical of NATO defense spending. In February, the former president said he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to any NATO member country that doesn’t meet spending guidelines on defense, alarming many leaders in Washington and Europe.

Trump and Zelensky also have their own history. Nearly five years ago, Trump repeatedly pushed for Zelensky to investigate his political rival Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, on a call ahead of the 2020 election. That “perfect phone call,” in Trump’s words, led to his first impeachment.

European diplomats have been preparing for Trump’s potential return to the White House, CNN previously reported, working to set up guard rails for NATO and trying to ensure lasting support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

Last week, when Zelensky was in the US, he said that “everyone is waiting for November,” including Putin. He also said that Biden and Trump are “very different” but both support democracy, which is why he claimed: “I think Putin will hate both of them.”

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

CNN’s Kylie Atwood and Mariya Knight contributed to this report.

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