In a subsequent Telegram post, Zelenskyy said they discussed ongoing efforts to begin peace negotiations to end the Russian war of aggression. Trump also relayed details of his earlier conversation with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
In the post, Zelenskyy mentioned, "We discussed our readiness to cooperate at the staff level. We also talked about our technological capabilities, including drones and other modern industries. I am grateful to President Trump for his interest in what we can achieve together."
According to public broadcaster Suspilne, the call lasted about an hour.
Earlier on Feb. 12, Trump had a phone call with Putin, which he described as "productive." He mentioned they discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, energy, artificial intelligence, the strength of the dollar, and "many other topics."
The U.S. leader then suggested that he extended a reciprocal invitation to Putin to visit the United States.
“We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s nations,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“We have also agreed to have our respective teams start [peace] negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will doing right now.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said earlier in the day that Washington no longer sees NATO membership for Kyiv or Ukraine restoring control over its sovereign territory as “realistic” outcomes of a post-war settlement. This policy shift signals that the United States is now unwilling to play a meaningful role in deterring Moscow from future potential attempts to seize Ukraine by force.