When Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky took a call from U. S. President Donald Trump on July 25, a few days after his party won a landslide victory in the parliamentary election, he was evidently pleased. It was the second time since the two had talked on the night Zelensky won the presidency in April.

“I think I should run more often so that you can call me more often and we can talk over the phone more often,” he said, according to a memorandum reconstructing the dialogue released by the White House on Sept. 25.