US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump says he had a "very good call" with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy and pledged to end the war in his country through negotiations.
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In his Truth Social post, Trump said that as president he "will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives."
"Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity," Trump said.
Zelenskiy also reported his conversation with Trump and expressed thanks for US military assistance. But he made no reference in his post on social media platform X to efforts to end the 28-month-old conflict.
Though Trump has put forward few tangible policy proposals, he told Reuters in an interview last year that Ukraine might have to cede some territory to reach a peace agreement.
In his post, Zelenskiy said he congratulated Trump on becoming the Republican nominee and condemned the assassination attempt on him last week.
"I wished him strength and absolute safety in the future," the Ukraine president said.
"I noted the vital bipartisan and bicameral American support for protecting our nation's freedom and independence."
Ukraine, he said, "will always be grateful to the United States for its help in strengthening our ability to resist Russian terror. Russian attacks on our cities and villages continue every day."
Zelenskiy rejects any negotiations with Russia on ending the conflict as long as Russian troops remain in Ukraine.
He's proposed a peace plan, showcased again at a "world summit" last month to which Russia was not invited, that calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops and the restoration of Ukraine's 1991 post-Soviet borders.
Russian troops occupy about 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory. Moscow's forces have made incremental gains in the east of the country along the 1,000-km front since capturing the key city of Avdiivka in February.
Australian Associated Press
