Duda advises Zelenskyy to remain committed to 'constructive cooperation' with Trump

Duda wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "A few minutes ago, President Zelenskyy called me. We had a candid conversation on the heels of the recent meetings with General Kellogg and other developments. I conveyed to him that we consistently believe there is no other way to stop the bloodshed and achieve lasting peace in Ukraine except with the support of the United States."

As a result, Duda advised Zelenskyy to "remain committed to the course of calm and constructive cooperation with Donald Trump," emphasizing that the basis of the American administration's negotiation strategy is "goodwill and honesty."

"I have no doubt that President Trump is guided by a deep sense of responsibility for global stability and peace," added the Polish president.

Zelenskyy also shared details of the conversation, mentioning that he discussed current actions and joint steps with his Polish counterpart.

"I also shared information about the ongoing dialogue with the American side. It is important for the United States to stand with us. A strong and lasting peace can only be achieved through unity," Zelenskyy added.

Poland's Andrzej Duda to meet with Donald Trump

Polish president Andrzej Duda will fly to Washington to meet with US president Donald Trump on Saturday, The Guardian reported, citing multiple Polish media.

If confirmed, that would make Duda the first European leader welcomed by Trump in the White House, ahead of French president Emmanuel Macron expected on Monday, and UK prime minister Keir Starmer expected on Thursday.

Rift between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump

On February 18, Trump claimed at a press conference that trust in Ukraine's president had dropped to 4%. In response, Zelenskyy said Trump was "living in a space of disinformation."

The U.S. president also questioned the $350 billion aid to Kyiv: "We gave Kyiv, I think, $350 billion. Well, maybe a little less, but it's a significant amount. But where is all that money going? I've never seen any report on that."

"Our numbers are completely different. Everything is very clear for us: the war has cost us $320 billion. $120 billion was covered by us, the Ukrainian people, taxpayers. $200 billion came from the U.S. and the European Union, mostly weapon packages," Zelenskyy replied.

On February 19, Trump claimed Zelenskyy was refusing to hold elections and had very low approval ratings in Ukrainian polls, calling him a "dictator without elections."

Meanwhile, EU Ambassador Katarína Mathernová insisted that elections in Ukraine could not be held earlier than six months after martial law ends.

On February 20, the European Commission responded to Trump's statement, stressing that "Ukraine is a democracy, while Putin's Russia is not."