On the eve of the G7 Summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy engaged in a cordial conversation with President Donald Trump, according to an announcement made by Zelenskyy on Sunday via X, the social media platform. During this interaction, Zelenskyy extended his congratulations to Trump on his 80th birthday and expressed a commitment to further peace negotiations in the near future.
“I have just had a great conversation with @POTUS,” Zelenskyy shared on X. “I congratulated President Trump on his birthday, and we had a very detailed discussion about many important issues, with peace being a significant focus. I wished President Trump success, especially in his efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.”
Zelenskyy further expressed his gratitude for the support Ukraine has received from the United States. “I thanked him for all the support America has been providing to Ukraine, and it’s important to remember with gratitude each step of that support—from Javelins to Patriots,” he remarked. “We talked about measures that could facilitate peace now, and I updated the President on the latest battlefield developments and how our position has strengthened.”
The meeting between President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took place in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on February 28, 2025. (Saul Loeb/AFP)
The upcoming G7 Summit is set to host direct talks among leaders of seven major industrialized nations, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These discussions are expected to address critical global issues, with a focus on fostering international collaboration.
“We agreed that we will discuss more during our meeting at the G7 Summit,” Zelenskyy concluded. “We have some good ideas that could help advance peace and protect lives. Thank you!”
The call came as Trump turned 80 and prepared to travel early Monday moring to France for the G7, where Ukraine and Russia’s war is expected to be s major topic. Trump will participate in a working session Tuesday morning with Zelenskyy at the summit, though not necessarily a formal bilateral meeting, according to a senior administration official.
The outreach also comes as European leaders seek to keep Trump engaged on Ukraine policy and push for renewed diplomatic efforts involving Kyiv, Moscow and Europe. European officials are expected to use the G7 gathering to press Trump on a plan to restart negotiations with Russia while also preparing additional pressure on Moscow.
Trump has hoped to have secured an Iranian peace treaty before the G7 and has long hoped his global peacemaking efforts would ultimately “end the death” in southern and eastern Ukraine, where Russia’s Vladimir Putin has sought to stake claim to large swaths of land during the ongoing war.
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