Trump, Putin hold ‘frank’ phone call as US restarts Ukraine deal efforts

President Donald Trump held a telephone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin as Washington renewed efforts to broker a settlement to the war in Ukraine. Russian presidential adviser Yury Ushakov characterized the roughly hour-long exchange as constructive and candid, saying the leaders discussed the course of the conflict and Russia’s planned battlefield actions.

Ushakov said Putin outlined an analysis of what Moscow calls its "special military operation" and reiterated that Russia does not intend to carry out aggressive operations in Europe. The adviser also told reporters that the two leaders compared notes on recent visits by US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to both Moscow and Kyiv, and that some useful ideas were put forward during those meetings. The White House did not provide comment in response to media inquiries about the call.

Kushner and Witkoff met separately with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the weekend to present what Trump described as a plan to end the war. Zelenskyy thanked Trump for permitting the envoys to travel to Ukraine and said it was important to do everything possible to end the fighting. Despite short pauses for negotiations, the weekend talks produced no ceasefire agreement and strikes resumed: Ukrainian officials reported at least five civilians killed and 25 wounded in attacks on Kyiv, while Russian authorities said three people were killed and 13 wounded in the Bryansk and Kursk regions; local Crimean officials reported roughly five deaths from Ukrainian strikes.

The conflict began in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ending the war has been a stated priority for Trump in his second administration; he has at times claimed he could secure a rapid settlement and later called that claim an exaggeration. The administration has drawn criticism for pursuing talks without deeper involvement from Ukrainian and European officials. Ukrainian officials say Trump and Zelenskyy are expected to meet later this month.