U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking to Russian leader Vladimir Putin by telephone for nearly 90 minutes, offered to help find a solution to the Ukraine war, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said in comments made public early on Sunday.
– Ushakov said Trump made the offer during the call on Saturday, U.S. Independence Day, in the context of his participation next week at the NATO summit in Turkey.
– Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he also spoke to Trump.
– “The American president once again confirmed his readiness to work towards a rapid end to the fighting and find solutions to overcome the crisis,” Ushakov said of Trump’s call with the Russian president.
– Ushakov, who described the conversation as “business-like and quite constructive,” said Russia sought “a political-diplomatic resolution of the conflict, with due account of Russia’s fundamental approach.”
– Ushakov accused Kyiv and its European allies of “counting on extending and even escalating the conflict, and on terrorism against civilians.“
– He was referring to Ukraine’s long-range strikes on Russian targets, mainly linked to the oil industry, which have triggered fuel shortages in several Russian regions.
– Ushakov said Putin “depicted the real situation on the battlefield where the Russian armed forces are confidently advancing, liberating one locality after another.”
– Russian commanders told Putin on Friday that Moscow’s troops had captured the strategically important city of Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
– On Saturday, Zelenskiy and Ukraine’s General Staff dismissed that claim, saying Kyiv’s forces still controlled the city.
– Russia has said any solution must include Moscow assuming full control over Ukraine’s Donbas region.
– Ukraine rejects that assertion and Zelenskiy urged Putin last month to hold a one-on-one meeting with him, but the Kremlin leader refused.
– Ushakov quoted Trump as saying that Washington’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, would keep trying to broker a settlement and were prepared to make another visit to Moscow.
– U.S. diplomatic efforts have virtually stalled as Washington is focused on the war with Iran.
– Ushakov said Putin expressed hope during the conversation that U.S. diplomatic efforts in the Iran conflict would “allow for mutually acceptable long-term solutions to be found on key issues of a settlement.”
– Ushakov said Putin also reminded Trump that he had an open invitation to visit Moscow.
– Zelenskiy, writing on his Telegram account, described his conversation with the U.S. president as “very good,” including a discussion on the war’s 1,200-km (746-mile) front line.
– “There is a real prospect to end this war and American resolve will have a crucial meaning,” he said. Zelenskiy said he and Trump agreed to continue discussions at the NATO meeting.