Zelensky holds post-G7 call with Trump and Macron, says it 'could make a big difference'

President Volodymyr Zelensky held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron on June 17, after the G7 summit concluded, as Kyiv intensifies efforts to secure direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The call came amid Ukraine's renewed push for a face-to-face encounter between Zelensky and Putin — a meeting that would mark the first direct talks between the two leaders since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

"An important coordination talk that could make a big difference. We wrapped up our discussions at the G7 summit," Zelensky said following the call.

"I am grateful to President Trump for his attention to Ukraine."

The two presidents met on June 16 on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France to discuss Ukraine's air defense needs. Zelensky said he raised the possibility of obtaining U.S. licenses for the production of anti-ballistic systems and missiles.

According to Zelensky, Trump reacted positively to the proposal.

Trump also described his earlier meeting with the Ukrainian president as "good," saying that Russia "should make a deal."

The talks took place as U.S.-mediated negotiations aimed at ending Russia's war against Ukraine remain effectively stalled.

The peace process has largely been frozen since February, with officials linking the slowdown to Washington's focus on its military campaign against Iran.

As peace efforts remain stalled, Moscow has continued to escalate attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and cultural sites.

During their June 16 meeting, Zelensky showed Trump photographs of the damage inflicted on Kyiv Pechersk Lavra in a recent Russian strike, a move that, according to a source familiar with the meeting, left the U.S. president disappointed.

Zelensky said on June 15 that he hoped Trump could help arrange a trilateral meeting in the United States involving himself, Putin, and the U.S. president.

"If Russia refuses this chance too, pressure will be needed," Zelensky said.

The Kremlin has consistently avoided a meeting between Putin and Zelensky in a neutral country, instead insisting that the Ukrainian president travel to Moscow. Kyiv has dismissed the proposal as an attempt to avoid meaningful negotiations.

"I will not travel to Moscow to meet with Putin. We can meet in Turkey, Switzerland, or the Middle East," the Ukrainian president told reporters on June 17.