US President Donald Trump promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to cooperate in finding Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine, the White House announced following a phone conversation between the two leaders on 19 March.
“President Trump agreed to work with him to find what was available, particularly in Europe,” the White House reported.
Trump and Zelenslyy held a phone conversation on 19 March over the a 30-day ceasefire agremeent. It was reportedly the first personal conversation betweet Trump and Zelenskyy after the clash in the Oval Office on 28 Feb., and after the Trump-Putin’s phone talks, which occured a day before, on 18 March.
After the call, Putin claimed that he had agreed to a 30-day ceasefire on strikes on energy infrastructure. However, the same night, overnight on 19 March, Russia carried out a large-scale drone attack that targeted energy infrastructure and other facilities.
Trump briefed Zelenskyy about his conversation with Putin. The US and Ukrainian presidents agreed on a “partial ceasefire against energy.”
Trump called his conversation with Zelenskyy “very good” and noted that a significant part of it was based on his conversation yesterday with Putin “with the aim of reconciling the requests and needs of Russia and Ukraine.”
Zelenskyy said they agreed to discuss technical details of a partial truce – refraining from strikes on energy and civilian infrastructure.
Technical teams reportedly will meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days “to discuss broadening the ceasefire to the Black Sea, on the way to a full ceasefire,” according to the White House.
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