Zelensky discussed peace talks in call with Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he had spoken with US President Donald Trump and discussed efforts to end the more than four-year-long war, ahead of a G7 meeting in France this week, Reuters reported.

Zelensky, in a post on Telegram, said he wished Trump a happy 80th birthday and thanked him for the assistance Washington provided during the conflict.

"I wished President Trump every success, especially in his efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine," Zelensky said.

Ahead of the G7 meeting in Evian-le-Bains, where leaders are scheduled to discuss Russia's war in Ukraine on Tuesday, Zelensky said he had discussed the position of their international partners with Trump.

"We discussed what could help bring peace closer now, and I briefed the president on the latest developments on the front and how our position has strengthened," he said. "We have some good ideas that could help bring peace closer."

US-brokered talks aimed at moving towards an end to the war have stalled as Washington focuses on the conflict in Iran.

However, Zelensky has said in recent weeks that the changing dynamics on the battlefield in Ukraine's favor have opened a window of opportunity for reaching a peace agreement.

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

Putin said he saw no need to meet with Zelensky and that Russian forces were advancing on the front. He continued to insist that Ukraine should hand over additional territory in exchange for peace, a demand Kiev has firmly rejected.

Thanking Trump for Washington's assistance, Zelensky specifically highlighted the deliveries of Javelin anti-tank missiles and Patriot air defense systems.

Late last month, Zelensky wrote to Trump and members of Congress requesting an increase in Patriot deliveries, the only effective means in Ukraine's arsenal against Russian ballistic missiles.