US President Donald Trump wants to end the conflict in Ukraine by April, so events will snowball to the maximum.
Presidents of Ukraine and the US, Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump, spoke by phone on February 12, adviser to the Ukrainian leader Dmytro Lytvyn said.
According to Lytvyn, the conversation between the two leaders ended around 19:40 and lasted about an hour.
Later, both Zelensky and Trump commented on the talks. The American leader described the phone call as positive and stated that the Ukrainian president wanted to make peace. Trump expressed hope for a positive outcome from Zelensky's meeting with Vice President J. D. Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Following his conversation with Zelensky, US President Donald Trump stated that the Ukrainian leader, like Russian President Vladimir Putin, wanted peace.
"He, like President Putin, wants to make peace," Trump wrote on Truth Social following his phone conversation with the Ukrainian president.
According to Trump, they discussed various topics related to the conflict in Ukraine, including the upcoming US-Ukrainian meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Conference.
"I just spoke with Donald Trump. A lengthy conversation. About the possibility of achieving peace. About our willingness to work together at the team level. About our technological capabilities, including drones and other modern industries. I am grateful to President Trump for his interest in what we can accomplish together. […] Ukraine wants peace more than anyone. We are determining our shared steps with America to stop Russian aggression and ensure a reliable, lasting peace. As President Trump said, let's get it done. We agreed on further contacts and meetings," Volodymyr Zelensky said following his phone call with Donald Trump.
"I just spoke to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. The conversation went very well. He, like President Putin, wants to make peace. We discussed many topics related to the war, but mainly the meeting scheduled for Friday in Munich, where Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the [US] delegation. I hope the outcome of this meeting will be positive. It is time to end this ridiculous war, where there has been massive, and totally unnecessary, DEATH and DESTRUCTION. God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine!" Trump wrote.
Before this, Trump had a phone conversation with Putin.
The latest speedy development in the settlement of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine was preceded by a prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States. Putin pardoned and released US teacher Marc Fogel, who was charged in Russia with drugs smuggling. In return, the United States agreed to release Russian computer specialist Alexander Vinnik.
The case against Alexander Vinnik in the US has been closed; since last night, he no longer appears in the list of prisoners. All legal conditions for his extradition to Russia have been met, RIA Novosti reports, citing his lawyer.
Update: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the US will release Vinnik.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that Belarus released a US citizen along with two other individuals, including Radio Free Europe journalist Andrei Kuznechyk.
According to opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Kuznechyk, activist Yelena Movshuk, and an unnamed US citizen have already arrived in Vilnius. Their release was facilitated by the Trump administration.
Kuznechyk was freed after more than three years in prison thanks to Trump; the editorial team also hopes for the release of journalist Ihar Losik.