In a recent phone conversation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy implored U.S. President Donald Trump to assist in brokering peace in Ukraine, drawing parallels with Trump's efforts in the Middle East.
Zelenskyy expressed his belief that if one conflict could be resolved, "others can be stopped as well." This plea came in the wake of a large-scale attack on Ukraine's energy grid by Russia, which resulted in power outages in the capital, Kyiv, and nine other regions.
According to Newsmax, diplomatic endeavors to halt Russia's invasion of Ukraine have been sluggish, partly due to the global focus shifting to the two-year conflict between Israel and the militant Palestinian group, Hamas. Trump, who recently announced the initial phase of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, had met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in August but was unable to secure a peace agreement.
Zelenskyy took to Facebook to share details of his conversation with Trump, describing it as "very positive and productive." He praised Trump's Middle East ceasefire plan as "outstanding" and expressed hope that other conflicts, including the Russian war, could be similarly resolved. Zelenskyy urged Trump to exert pressure on Russia to engage in negotiations.
The relationship between the two leaders has seen a significant thaw since their contentious televised meeting at the White House in February. Trump's stance towards Moscow has hardened, while his sympathy for Ukraine has grown. In a post on Truth Social in September, he suggested that Kyiv should attempt to reclaim all its occupied territory with the assistance of Europe and NATO.
First Lady Melania Trump announced last Friday that she had facilitated the release of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, having established an extraordinary line of communication with Putin. Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Ukraine have resulted in at least five fatalities and power outages in parts of Ukraine's southern Odesa region, as per Ukrainian officials.
Kyiv has accused Moscow of committing war crimes by repeatedly targeting Ukraine's energy grid each winter since its invasion in 2022, thereby disrupting power and heating to millions of households and interfering with the water supply. Russia, however, refutes these allegations, claiming that Ukraine uses the energy sites to power its military sector.
In a tit-for-tat, Ukrainian drone attacks have reportedly claimed two lives in Russia. Both nations have accused each other of hindering progress towards a peace deal. Russia points fingers at Kyiv and its European allies for undermining peace talks with Washington, while Ukraine and Europe accuse Russia of stalling to seize more Ukrainian territory.
Russia initiated its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, terming it a "special military operation" aimed at demilitarizing the country and preventing NATO's expansion. However, Kyiv and its European allies view the war as an unlawful land grab that has led to tens of thousands of civilian and military casualties and widespread destruction.
Since 2022, millions of Ukrainians have been displaced, and Russia now occupies approximately a fifth of Ukrainian territory, much of which has been devastated by fighting. As the conflict continues, the hope for peace remains elusive, with the Ukrainian President seeking international intervention to broker a resolution.
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