Kyiv, March 18 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he spoke by phone with French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of an upcoming conversation between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"We coordinated our positions ahead of the conversation between President Trump and Putin and the upcoming meetings in Europe," Zelensky said in his evening address.
Zelensky expressed gratitude to Macron and France for their support for Ukraine, Xinhua news agency reported.
Separately, Macron wrote on social media platform X that during their talks Zelensky reiterated his commitment to accepting the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire.
"It is now up to Russia to prove that it truly wants peace," Macron said.
He added that France, together with its partners, must work to develop a "concrete plan" to provide solid security guarantees for Ukraine and ensure lasting peace in Europe.
Earlier in the day, US media reported that Trump said he planned to talk with Putin on Tuesday about ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Russia on Monday confirmed that a phone call between the US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will take place on Tuesday.
"Yes, this is indeed the case. Such a conversation is being prepared for Tuesday," state-run news agency TASS quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.
Addressing reporters on Sunday, Trump stated that he was planning a conversation with the Russian President on Tuesday. He emphasised paying special attention to territorial and infrastructure issues within the framework of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Trump said he would speak with Putin about the war in Ukraine and added that there had already been discussions about "dividing up certain assets".
The US President further expressed hope that Moscow would agree to a ceasefire proposal.
"We want to see if we can bring that war to an end. Maybe we can, maybe we can't, but I think we have a very good chance I'll be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday. A lot of work's been done over the weekend," the US President told reporters on Sunday.
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