Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the Gaza cease‑fire as a success and urged President Donald Trump to pressure Vladimir Putin, while Trump was in Israel to meet hostage families and push a Gaza peace summit.
Volodymyr Zelensky on the Gaza Strip Agreement
In a Fox News interview, Zelensky called the cease‑fire in the Middle East a “success.” He said that President Trump’s pressure for Middle‑East peace offers hope for ending the war in Ukraine. “I hope Trump will use such tools or even more to pressure Putin to end the war in Ukraine,” he told the Jerusalem Post.
Putin Escalates the Situation
On X, Zelensky warned that Russia is exploiting the world’s attention to the Middle East. He said that Putin “escalates the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant” and that Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure have become even more lethal, compensating for failures on the battlefield.
What About Tomahawk Missiles for Ukraine?
During a phone call with President Trump on Saturday, Zelensky thanked him for the U.S. willingness to continue pursuing an end to the Russian‑Ukrainian war and congratulated him on the Gaza agreement. In a social‑media post, Zelensky stated that if a war can be stopped in one region, other wars—including Russia’s—could also cease. Reports indicate that the two discussed supplying Ukraine with long‑range Tomahawk missiles, a move that could prompt Moscow to consider peaceful talks.
Trump in Israel
On Monday, Trump arrived in Israel to meet families of hostages kidnapped by Hamas and to give a speech in the Knesset. He then proceeded to Egypt to co‑chair an international peace summit on Gaza. Hamas handed all Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross, a release that began at 7 p.m. Polish time and lasted a little over two hours. The Israeli army confirmed that 20 individuals were transferred to security services and are receiving medical and psychological assistance. Israel agreed to release 1,966 Palestinian prisoners; 1,716 will be freed in Gaza near the Nasser hospital in Khan Junis, while 250 sentenced to life may be moved to the West Bank and beyond the border. This step aligns with Trump’s 20‑point Gaza plan.
