Ukraine's Zelenskiy discusses peace talks in call with Trump

KYIV, June 14 - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday he had spoken to U.S. President Donald Trump and discussed efforts to achieve an end to the more than four-year war, ahead of a G7 meeting in France this week.

Zelenskiy, writing on Telegram, said he had wished Trump a happy 80th birthday and thanked him for the assistance provided by Washington throughout the conflict.

"I wished President Trump every success, first and foremost in his efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine," Zelenskiy said.

Ahead of the Group of Seven meeting in Evian-les-Bains, where leaders of the U.S. and other wealthy countries are due to discuss Russia's war in Ukraine on Tuesday, Zelenskiy said he had discussed with Trump the position of their international partners.

"We talked about what could help to bring peace closer right now, and I updated the president on the latest developments on the battlefield and how our position has strengthened," he said. "We have some good ideas that could help bring peace closer."

Speaking later in his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said he and Trump had agreed to meet during the meetings in Evian-les-Bains.

He said it was important to ensure U.S. backing for Ukraine's drive to secure peace, together with Ukraine's European allies.

"This is the most important thing we all want, and it's important that American society fully supports this Ukrainian desire of ours, the desire for a decent peace," he said.

U.S.-brokered talks aimed at moving towards an end to the war have stalled as Washington remains focused on the conflict in Iran.

Zelenskiy, however, has said in recent weeks that a shift in momentum on the battlefield in Ukraine's favor has opened a window of opportunity to reach a peace deal.

LETTER TO PUTIN

In an open letter to Russian leader Vladimir Putin this month, Zelenskiy also called for face-to-face talks to try to secure a ceasefire. The leaders of Britain, France and Germany said in a statement after talks with Zelenskiy in London last weekend that they supported his proposal, and Europe would play a role.

Putin has said he sees no need to meet Zelenskiy and that Russian forces are advancing on the battlefield. He has maintained his call for Ukraine to cede further territory in return for peace, something Kyiv has staunchly refused.

In thanking Trump for Washington's help, Zelenskiy cited in particular the supply of Javelin anti-tank missiles and Patriot missile-defense systems.

Late last month, Zelenskiy wrote to Trump and the members of the U.S. Congress to request an increase in supplies of Patriots, the only effective defense in Ukraine's arsenal against Russia's ballistic missiles. REUTERS