U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 4 that lasted about an hour and a half. During the call, Trump offered help to end the war in Ukraine.
Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov noted that the call took place on U.S. Independence Day, and said Trump "once again confirmed his readiness to work toward ending the war as soon as possible and finding ways out of the crisis." Ushakov described the call as "businesslike and quite constructive."
Ushakov said Russia insists on "a political-diplomatic solution that takes into account Moscow's principled position." He also accused Kyiv and its European allies of "calculating on prolonging and even escalating the conflict, and on terrorist acts against civilians," referencing Ukraine's long-range strikes on oil facilities inside Russian territory.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, for his part, described his phone call with Trump as "very good." Zelensky said, "There is a real possibility to end this war, and U.S. determination will be decisive." Noting that the two leaders agreed to continue discussions at the NATO summit, Zelensky thanked the United States and "the American hearts that think about Ukraine's future and value freedom worldwide."
White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly confirmed that Trump will hold a bilateral meeting with Zelensky during the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8.
Ushakov also said Putin briefed Trump on the situation at the front, with Russian forces "advancing settlement after settlement." He noted that Russian commanders reported to Putin on Friday that the strategically important city of Konstantinovka in the Donetsk region had been brought under control. However, Zelensky and the Ukrainian General Staff on Saturday rejected this claim, stressing that the city remains under Ukrainian control.
Moscow insists any settlement must include full Russian control over Donbas, a condition Kyiv rejects. Last month, Zelensky called for a face-to-face meeting with Putin, but the Russian leader declined the offer.
Ushakov said Trump conveyed that U.S. representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would continue their efforts to reach a deal and were ready to visit Moscow again. It is noted that U.S. diplomatic efforts have nearly ground to a halt as Washington's attention has focused on the war with Iran. Ushakov added that Putin expressed hope that U.S. diplomatic activities regarding Iran would allow "mutually acceptable long-term solutions to be found on key issues of the settlement." Putin also reminded Trump of the standing invitation to visit Moscow.
Meanwhile, as Ukraine continues its strikes on military targets inside Russia, Moscow launched a large combined attack on Kyiv on the night of June 5-6. One of the missiles fired by the Russian invaders at the capital hit a residential building in the Podil district; as of 07:30 local time, nine people were killed, and rescue efforts are ongoing.
