"War must end": Zelenskyy, Trump hold phone call as Witkoff returns from Kremlin

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Telegram that he had a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump and several European leaders.

“Our joint position with our partners is absolutely clear: the war must end. And it must end justly. European leaders also joined the call, and I am grateful to each of them for their support. We discussed what was voiced in Moscow,” Zelenskyy wrote.

At the same time, the president emphasized that Russia must end the war it started.

In his evening address on August 6, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia now appears “more inclined toward a ceasefire.”

“Pressure is working on them. But the key is to make sure they don’t deceive us in the details — neither us, nor the United States. In the coming days, representatives of Ukraine and our partners — our national security advisors — will hold talks to define our joint position and shared vision. This is very important for Ukraine,” he said.

Earlier, Ukrainian media and Axios correspondent Barak Ravid confirmed the phone talks, citing their own sources.

At 8:01 p.m., Suspilne reported that the call between the Ukrainian and American presidents had ended.

The phone conversation took place while Trump’s special representative, Steve Witkoff, was on his way back to the United States following negotiations with Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin.

• On Wednesday, August 6, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow. He met with Putin, and their conversation reportedly lasted about three hours. According to the Kremlin, they discussed the “Ukrainian crisis” and the prospects for Moscow–Washington cooperation.
• Notably, on the previous day — August 5 — Zelenskyy had also held a phone conversation with Trump.