Trump and Putin discuss Ukraine war before NATO summit
A Kremlin aide said Trump offered to help seek a rapid end to fighting during a call with Putin before leaders meet in Ankara.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
US President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone on Saturday about the war in Ukraine, according to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov. The call came days before a NATO summit in Ankara, where Ukraine is expected to be a central issue.
Ushakov said the conversation lasted nearly 90 minutes and described it as businesslike and constructive. In comments released Sunday, he said Trump had again signaled he was ready to work toward a fast end to the fighting and help find a way through the crisis.
According to Ushakov, Russia told the United States it wants a political and diplomatic settlement that takes account of what Moscow calls its basic position. He did not announce any agreement from the call.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he also spoke with Trump on Saturday. Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram that they discussed the war along the 1,200-kilometre, or 745-mile, front line.
Zelenskyy said there was a real chance to end the war and that US resolve would carry major weight. He said he and Trump agreed to continue discussions at next week’s NATO summit.
NATO leaders prepare to meet
Heads of state from 32 countries, including Trump, are expected in Ankara for the summit scheduled for July 7 and 8. The meeting follows months in which front-line movement has been limited, with drones restricting the use of heavy vehicles and causing losses on both sides, according to the report by AFP and Reuters.
Ushakov accused Kyiv and European governments of seeking to prolong and intensify the conflict, and of what he called terrorism against civilians. He was referring to Ukrainian long-range attacks on targets inside Russia, mainly tied to the oil industry, which have caused fuel shortages in several Russian regions.
Ushakov said Putin gave Trump his account of the battlefield and claimed Russian forces were advancing and taking settlements. Russian commanders told Putin on Friday that Moscow’s troops had captured Kostiantynivka, a strategically important city in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
Ukraine rejected that claim. Zelenskyy and Ukraine’s General Staff said Saturday that Ukrainian forces still controlled Kostiantynivka.
US envoys may return to Moscow
Zelenskyy urged Putin last month to meet him one-on-one, but the Kremlin leader declined, according to the account. Ushakov quoted Trump as saying US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would continue efforts to broker a settlement and were prepared to travel to Moscow again.
Ushakov said US diplomatic efforts over Ukraine had largely stalled as Washington focused on the war with Iran. He said Putin expressed hope that US diplomacy over Iran would produce mutually acceptable long-term solutions on key settlement issues.
No date was announced for another Trump-Putin call or for a new round of talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.