Putin, Trump Hold Candid Call on Ukraine War

MOSCOW: (News Desk) – Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held an hour-long telephone conversation on Tuesday, discussing efforts to end the war in Ukraine in what the Kremlin described as an “extremely frank” and constructive exchange.

The call came shortly after US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow and Kyiv as Washington stepped up efforts to revive stalled diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict.

According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, the two leaders focused primarily on a potential settlement in Ukraine. Trump stressed the need for a swift end to the fighting, while Putin provided what Moscow described as a detailed assessment of developments on the battlefield.

Putin also outlined what he believed the United States could realistically do to help bring the conflict to an end. He reiterated Russia’s position that Moscow has no aggressive intentions toward European countries.

Neither Trump nor the White House immediately released a detailed account of the conversation.

The discussion took place against the backdrop of renewed Russian strikes on Ukraine. Moscow had announced a temporary pause in attacks during the US envoys’ visit, but strikes resumed after the pause ended, with Ukrainian authorities reporting deaths and injuries in Kyiv.

The renewed attacks have further complicated diplomatic efforts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russian, Ukrainian and US representatives could meet as early as September to discuss a possible path toward ending the war.

“If September works out, then it would be great. The earlier, the better,” Zelensky said.

Several previous rounds of negotiations have failed to produce a breakthrough, with both sides maintaining sharply different positions on the terms of a settlement.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga criticised Moscow after the latest strikes, arguing that Russia’s military actions contradicted its diplomatic messaging.

Russia, meanwhile, said its latest attacks targeted military-industrial facilities, logistics centres and weapons storage sites in Kyiv and surrounding areas.

Residents described scenes of panic as explosions shook parts of the capital, forcing people to seek shelter in underground locations.

The conflict continues to take a heavy toll on civilians. UN-verified figures indicate that civilian deaths in Ukraine have reached their highest levels since the early months of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The two sides also remain divided over territorial and security issues. Moscow has demanded that Ukraine surrender territory in the eastern Donetsk region that remains under Kyiv’s control and abandon Western military support.

Kyiv has rejected those demands, describing them as unacceptable and warning that territorial concessions could enable Russia to launch another offensive in the future.

With winter approaching, concerns are also growing over Russia’s potential attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Previous winter campaigns have caused widespread disruptions to electricity and heating supplies.

Despite renewed diplomatic contacts between Washington, Moscow and Kyiv, there remains little indication that the fundamental differences between Russia and Ukraine have been resolved.