Zelenskyy, Trump mull ceasefire, anti-Russia sanctions Phone call details

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump held two separate phone conversations focused on securing a ceasefire in Ukraine and the possibility of tougher US sanctions on Russia on May 19.

"I had two calls today with President Trump in different formats. In the first call, we discussed what is critically important for Ukraine - a ceasefire, unconditional matters that we discussed in Istanbul, and continuously before that," Zelenskyy revealed during a briefing, Caliber.Az reports per Ukrainian media. 

According to the Ukrainian president, the second key topic of discussion was the United States’ readiness to impose stricter sanctions on Moscow. Zelenskyy urged Trump to act decisively if Russia does not commit to ending its aggression.

"I asked him not to make decisions about Ukraine without us. This is a matter of principle and is very important to us. We agreed that we would have contact after his conversation with Putin. We had a rather long conversation, I think more than an hour," he added.

The second call between the two leaders took place in a multilateral format, involving French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

"It was a lengthy and wide-ranging conversation. President Trump, as I understand, believes the most important thing is direct talks between Ukraine and Russia. That’s his position, he has demonstrated it. In short, he believes Russia will be sending certain signals about what a ceasefire and next steps could look like from their perspective," Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy emphasised that he asked Trump to ensure Ukraine’s stance is respected in any diplomatic developments.

"So far, these are general ideas, that’s why I raised the possibility of serious sanctions," he said.

On May 17, President Trump said he was optimistic that following his phone conversations with both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, there may be a path to halting military hostilities in the region. 

The remarks followed a round of direct peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul on May 16 — the first such meeting since 2022. Neither Trump nor Putin attended the talks in person. While Zelenskyy invited the Russian leader for face-to-face negotiations, the Kremlin instead dispatched a delegation led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.

Medinsky expressed satisfaction with the discussions. A joint statement released after the meeting announced an agreement on a large-scale prisoner exchange involving 1,000 detainees from each side.

Ukraine also pushed for direct presidential-level talks during the Istanbul discussions. Russia acknowledged the proposal and stated it was under consideration.

The White House has confirmed that President Trump is open to a direct summit with President Putin. Should it materialise, the meeting could prove pivotal in shaping the next phase of the war and influencing the broader geopolitical landscape.

By Sabina Mammadli