KYIV, Ukraine — After President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ended inconclusive peace talks in Alaska, Ukraine was left in a position it knows all too well. It was scrambling to piece together what the two leaders had actually discussed, deciphering what they may have agreed on and striving to avoid being sidelined in peace talks.

A call a few hours later from Trump filled in some of the gaps. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said the phone discussion, which included European leaders, had been “long and substantive” and covered “the main points” of Trump’s talks with Putin. Zelenskyy added that he would visit Trump in Washington on Monday “to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war.”

But even as Zelenskyy’s statement suggested a potential path toward a peace deal after months of largely fruitless negotiations, a public statement by Trump later Saturday morning raised questions about whether such an opening would be too heavily tilted toward Russia for Ukraine to accept.

Trump called on social media for a direct peace agreement without securing a ceasefire first, claiming that Zelenskyy and European leaders had agreed on the point. His statement was a stark shift from the “principles” agreed upon earlier in the week by Trump, Zelenskyy and his European allies, which called for refusing to discuss peace terms until a ceasefire was in place.

Russia has long pushed for a direct peace deal that would address a broad range of issues and impose onerous demands on Ukraine, including territorial concessions. Avoiding a ceasefire would allow Russia to continue pressing its advantage on the battlefield in the meantime.

An official briefed on the call between Trump and Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian leader’s trip to Washington would aim to seek clarity from Trump.

In a statement, Zelenskyy seemed to tread carefully, trying not to openly contradict Trump.

“We need to achieve a real peace that will be lasting, not just another pause between Russian invasions,” Zelenskyy said. But he added that “the killings must stop as soon as possible,” suggesting that he was still prioritizing a ceasefire.

In statements of their own, European leaders made no mention of having agreed to abandon their demand for a ceasefire.

At the same time, the fact that the statements did not include a demand for a ceasefire, as in previous remarks, suggests at the very least an attempt not to antagonize Trump.