"Hardest Winter" and Peace Hopes: Zelensky and Trump Talk Geneva Negotiations to End Ukraine War

President Volodymyr Zelensky held a high-stakes phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday to coordinate the next steps in ending the conflict as it enters its fifth year. The call included key Trump advisors Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, who are leading the diplomatic push in Geneva. Zelensky thanked Washington for its mediation, confirming a bilateral meeting in Geneva this Thursday (Feb 26) between his defense chief, Rustem Umerov, and the U.S. team.

The discussions center on the "Prosperity Package", an $800 billion reconstruction plan for Ukraine, and preparations for a potential trilateral summit with Russia in early March. Zelensky highlighted that Russian strikes on energy infrastructure made this winter the toughest yet for his people, reiterating that only a "leaders-level" meeting can resolve the most sensitive territorial issues.