Trump Offers To Help Zelenskyy Secure Air Defence From Europe, Seeks Control Over Ukrainian Power Plants
President Trump pledged to help Ukraine get more air defense equipment from Europe. Trump and President Zelenskyy agreed their defense teams will share information closely.
US President Donald Trump has pledged to help Ukraine get more air defence equipment from Europe as Kyiv’s forces battle Russia, the White House said Wednesday.
In a phone conversation Tuesday, Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy also agreed that their defence staffs will “share information closely" as the battlefield situation evolves, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing.
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Trump also suggested to Zelenskyy that the US take ownership of Ukrainian power plants to ensure the critical facilities’ security.
Trump told Zelenskyy that the US could be “very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise," according to a White House statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz.
Trump added that “American ownership of those plants could be the best protection for that infrastructure."
The conversation between the two leaders came a day after the US president spoke with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy Backs Trump’s Ceasefire Plan
Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is ready to stop strikes on Russia’s energy and other civilian infrastructure. He also supported the USA’s “unconditional ceasefire" on the frontline. “We believe that such steps are necessary to create the possibility for a comprehensive peace agreement to be prepared during the ceasefire," he wrote in a post on X.
The Ukraine president said that Ukrainian and American teams are ready to meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to continue coordinating steps toward peace. “We instructed our advisors and representatives to carry out this work as quickly as possible. We noted the positive work of our advisors and representatives—Rubio, Waltz, Kellogg, Yermak, Sybiha, Umerov, and Palisa. In further meetings, the teams can agree on all necessary aspects of advancing toward lasting peace and security guarantees," he added.
I had a positive, very substantive, and frank conversation with President of the United States Donald Trump @POTUS. I thanked him for a good and productive start to the work of the Ukrainian and American teams in Jeddah on March 11—this meeting of the teams significantly helped… pic.twitter.com/JFBd5EeIkg— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 19, 2025
Earlier today, Zelenskyy, speaking at a press conference in Helsinki alongside Finnish President Alexander Stubb, stated he would discuss the next steps on the ceasefire proposal with the US President.
“Today I will have contacts with President Trump and we will discuss the next steps," Ukrainian President told the press.
Tuesday’s call between Trump and Putin did not result in the breakthrough ceasefire Ukraine had been hoping for after supporting the US-led proposal last week.
However, during the call, Putin agreed to pause strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities for 30 days, following his conversation with Trump, after rejecting the US president’s earlier proposal to halt all hostilities.
(With inputs from AFP, AP)
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