Ukraine’s leader commends Trump’s role in advancing a Gaza ceasefire, expressing hope that other conflicts can be resolved similarly.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently encouraged former US President Donald Trump to facilitate peace talks in Ukraine, drawing parallels to his involvement in the Middle East. Zelenskyy emphasized that if one conflict can be halted, others-including the war in Ukraine-can also be brought to an end.
The conversation took place on Saturday, shortly after Russia launched a significant assault on Ukraine’s power infrastructure, causing outages in Kyiv and nine additional regions. Power has since been restored in the affected areas.
Efforts to negotiate an end to Russia’s invasion have slowed, partly due to the global focus shifting toward mediating a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, according to Ukrainian officials.
Trump, who announced an initial ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas earlier this week, previously met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in August. However, those discussions did not yield progress toward ending hostilities in Ukraine.
On Facebook, Zelenskyy described his phone call with Trump as “very positive and productive,” praising the former president’s “remarkable” ceasefire initiative in the Middle East.
He added, “If peace can be achieved in one region, it is certainly possible in others, including the conflict with Russia,” urging Trump to leverage his influence to encourage Moscow to engage in negotiations.
The relationship between Zelenskyy and Trump has notably improved since their tense exchange during a White House meeting earlier this year.
Trump’s stance toward Russia has shifted, showing increased criticism of Moscow while expressing support for Ukraine’s sovereignty.
In a September post on Truth Social, Trump advocated for Ukraine reclaiming all territories occupied by Russia, with assistance from Europe and NATO.
Meanwhile, US First Lady Melania Trump revealed on Friday that she facilitated the release of Ukrainian children abducted by Russian forces through a discreet communication channel with Putin.
On the ground, Russian strikes on Saturday resulted in at least five fatalities and caused power disruptions in southern Ukraine’s Odesa region, according to local authorities.
Among the casualties were two individuals killed inside a church in Kostyantynivka following a missile strike.
Leveraging ‘Russian assets’
DTEK, Ukraine’s leading private energy firm, reported that the primary restoration of electricity was completed, though some localized blackouts persisted in Kyiv after Friday’s extensive Russian offensive.
Conversely, Ukrainian drone operations reportedly caused two fatalities in Russia’s Belgorod region, including a truck driver killed by a strike near the border.
Since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during winter months, cutting off power, heating, and water supplies to millions-a tactic Kyiv condemns as a deliberate war crime.
Moscow denies these allegations, asserting that Ukraine’s military uses energy facilities for defense purposes.
Both sides have blamed each other for stalling peace negotiations. Russia accuses Kyiv and its European partners of undermining talks with Washington, while Ukraine and Europe claim Russia is deliberately delaying to consolidate territorial gains.
In his nightly address on Friday, Zelenskyy highlighted that Russia is exploiting the world’s preoccupation with Middle East peace efforts. He called for enhanced air defense capabilities and stricter sanctions against Russia.
“We must fully utilize Russian assets to bolster our defense and facilitate recovery,” Zelenskyy stated in a video shared on X.
