President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine agreed in a Wednesday phone call with President Trump to accept Russia’s offer for a mutual pause in attacks on energy targets for 30 days as a step toward a broader cease-fire.
During the call, Mr. Trump also floated the idea of the United States taking control of Ukrainian power plants — an idea that Ukrainian energy experts said was probably unworkable.
It was not immediately clear how or when a pause in strikes would take hold. As the statements were issued, alarms sounded in parts of Ukraine to warn of Russian drones in the sky.
Even a narrow agreement between Mr. Zelensky and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia would leave a wide chasm between their positions on how the war could end. And Mr. Zelensky has characterized some of the Russian leader’s proposals as stalling tactics as he maneuvers for military advantage and the best possible deal from the American president.
A joint statement from Mr. Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Waltz, and the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said technical teams would meet in Saudi Arabia “in the coming days” to discuss broadening the cease-fire on energy sites to one covering activity in the Black Sea, “on the way to a full cease-fire.”
Wednesday was the first time Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelensky have spoken since a dramatic confrontation in the Oval Office last month.