During a press conference at the Finnish presidential palace, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he would be speaking directly with former U.S. President Donald Trump later on Wednesday. This conversation marks their first direct communication since a tense Oval Office meeting last month. The discussion comes ahead of renewed negotiations between Russia and the United States on ending the war, set to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Later on Wednesday, Trump described the conversation as “very good” and stated that negotiations were “very much on track.”
Finnish President Alexander Stubb emphasized that Europe should have a role in the discussions, given the European Union’s significant financial and strategic involvement in the war. “The two warring parties are Russia and Ukraine, and the mediating parties should be the United States and the European Union,” he argued.
Stubb urged European nations to coordinate their approach more effectively. “I would encourage Europe to get its act together,” he said, suggesting that representatives from key EU countries—such as the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, and Poland—along with EU institutions, should be involved in future negotiations.
At present, Europe’s efforts remain too fragmented and dominated by individual national approaches, he warned. Stubb noted that he has repeatedly pushed this idea in discussions with other EU leaders.
Additionally, Stubb has proposed appointing a special envoy for Ukraine, similar to the role he held during the 2008 Russia-Georgia war. However, he admitted that there is currently little appetite among EU leaders for such an appointment.













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