The Kremlin said ending the war in Ukraine was discussed during a phone call lasting about an hour between U.S. President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Kremlin Foreign Policy Adviser Yury Ushakov said Trump had made clear that ending the conflict soon would be desirable.
Ushakov said Trump linked the end of the war to the complete restoration of relations between the United States and Russia and the opening of broad trade opportunities. Trump also stressed that developing commercial and economic ties between the two countries would bring significant benefits.
Ushakov said Trump was interested in achieving a breakthrough during his term in office and that Putin supported this approach to restoring relations.
Putin gave Trump a detailed assessment of the current front line and the achievement of the war's objectives during the call. The Kremlin said Putin continues to demand the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the unoccupied parts of the Donetsk region as a condition for peace. The Kyiv government rejects this demand.
The phone call took place after Trump's special envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, visited Moscow and Kyiv. Ushakov said the two leaders viewed the diplomatic initiatives positively and that Putin continued to praise Trump's mediation efforts.
Ushakov said the call also addressed some concrete steps the United States could take to accelerate the end of the war. However, he said the details and important nuances would not be disclosed because the call was private. The White House did not immediately confirm that Trump and Putin had spoken by phone.
