Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy told President Trump during a phone call on Wednesday 12 February that Russian President Vladimir Putin is only pretending to want to negotiate a peace deal because he is “afraid of you,” a Ukrainian official and three other sources with knowledge of the call tell Axios.
Trump’s phone calls with Putin and Zelenskyy on 12 February launched his diplomatic effort to push for a deal to end the war in Ukraine, and raised concerns among some NATO allies that Trump might be backing Zelenskyy into a corner by pushing for talks while taking some of his likely demands off the table.
While Trump told Zelenskyy he got the impression that Putin wants a deal, the Ukrainian president expressed a more skeptical view about the intentions of his Russian counterpart.
“Zelenskyy’s message to Trump was ‘you have leverage over Putin,'” one source briefed on the call said.
While Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine, or sending in US troops to guarantee Ukraine’s security, Trump expressed support in the call for a European peacekeeping force, the sources say. He also told Zelenskyy who would be part of the US negotiating team.
”We will know soon” if Putin is serious on peace
Three sources said the call between Trump and Zelenskyy was positive and went on for about an hour, longer than the call Trump had with Putin immediately before.
Trump told Zelenskyy that he understands his concerns about him talking to Putin, but stressed there is no way around it if he wants his diplomatic efforts to be successful.
“I need to talk to Putin in order to save Ukraine,” Trump told Zelenskyy, according to the sources.
Trump also told Zelenskyy Putin wants a deal, and asked if Zelenskyy is still committed to getting one. Zelenskyy replied that he still wants a deal, but that he thinks Putin is just telling Trump what he wants to hear. “Putin told you he wants a deal only because he is afraid of you, because you are strong,” Zelenskyy told Trump, according to the sources.
Trump told the Ukrainian president that he could be right, but his impression was that Putin is serious. “We will know soon,” Trump added, according to two of the sources.
The US president told his Ukrainian counterpart that he understands Ukraine will need security guarantees as part of any future deal, and that he thinks a European peacekeeping force along the front with Russia could be one solution, the sources said.
Trump told Zelenskyy that his upcoming meeting with Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Munich will be very important in order to launch the diplomatic process. He told Zelenskyy that CIA Director John Ratcliffe and White House envoy Steve Witkoff are also going to be on the US negotiating team, and asked that Zelenskyy appoint his own negotiating team.
Trump ended the call by giving Zelenskyy his personal number and said he can call him directly, one source said.
Related:
- German Chancellor on US-Russia negotiations: We will never accept a dictated peace
- US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejects suggestions of early concessions to Putin
- NATO chief Rutte: New treaty between Ukraine and Russia must prevent future Russian aggression
- Top EU official: Any agreement concluded without Ukraine and EU is doomed to fail
- Trump claims Ukraine “essentially agreed” to give US access to its rare earth minerals
- NATO chief: Alliance did not promise Ukraine membership as result of any peace talks
