US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a one-hour phone call Tuesday following visits to Moscow and Kyiv by US envoys.
During the discussion, Trump pressed for a swift end to the war in Ukraine, though the high-stakes conversation yielded no immediate breakthrough
The phone discussion held after Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner capped visits to Moscow and Kyiv to advocate for a swift end to the war in Ukraine, but the pair came back empty-handed.
‘The conversation focused on the Ukrainian settlement. Donald Trump clearly expressed the desirability of a swift end to the conflict, which would immediately open up impressive and far-reaching prospects for a full restoration of US-Russian relations,’ said Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov.
Ushakov also reiterated that despite reports indicating Russia was preparing to attack an unnamed European NATO ally, Putin has no plans to attack.
‘Given the speculation about Russia’s alleged hostile intentions against European states, it was emphasized that we harbor no thought of aggressive plans against Europe.’
Putin ordered a temporary pause in targeting Kyiv so that Witkoff and Kushner could safely conduct peace negotiations after their stint in Moscow. Ukraine also reduced its strikes during the trip.
