Nearly six years have passed since Volodymyr Zelensky was elected president of Ukraine, yet he still cringes at all the polished brass and chandeliers that crowd his office. The place does seem rather gaudy,

President Trump spoke on Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an effort to reach an agreement on a partial 30-day ceasefire with Russia, the White House said.Why it matters: The call took place one day after Trump spoke for more than two hours with Russian President Vladimir Putin and tried to convince him to agree to a full and immediate ceasefire with Ukraine that would last 30 days.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday (March 25) that a truce with Russia covering the Black Sea and energy strikes had come into effect. However, he cautioned that Moscow was already distorting the terms of the agreement.

Putin said he wanted a U.N.-led administration to take control of Ukraine and conduct fresh elections, before any treaty is signed to end the conflict in the country.