Published: 10:01, May 9, 2025
Zelensky, Trump discuss peace efforts in phone call
By Xinhua
This combination of files pictures created on March 18, 2025 shows US President Donald Trump looking with a phone in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on June 27, 2017 and a handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on Feb 12, 2025, showing Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky speaking during a phone call with the US president while sitting at his office in Kyiv. (PHOTOS / AFP) 

KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday he held a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump to discuss efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine.

"We discussed the need for continued efforts to achieve peace, including concrete steps that could be taken," Zelensky wrote in a post on a social media platform X.

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He said he informed Trump that Ukraine is ready for a 30-day ceasefire "starting even today" and is awaiting Russia's response to the proposal.

Ukraine also remains open for talks in any format if Russia demonstrates "the seriousness of its intentions to end the war, starting with a full unconditional ceasefire," Zelensky added.

According to him, Trump expressed his readiness to help achieve peace and voiced support for a potential ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

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Both parties also welcomed the Ukrainian parliament's ratification of the US-Ukraine agreement on economic partnership.

Also on Thursday, the Ukrainian parliamentratified a natural resources deal with the US, which would establish a joint investment fund for Ukraine's reconstruction.

The motion was passed with 338 votes in favor, exceeding the required minimum of 226, the Ukrinform news agency reported.

Earlier in the day, First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said Kyiv hopes the fund will be fully operational within a few weeks.