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 to help 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 to prolong and even escalate the conflict, and to carry out terrorist acts against civilians," referring to Ukraine's long-range strikes on oil facilities inside Russian territory.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky 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 on the front, stating that Russian forces are "advancing from one settlement to the next." 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 denied this claim, stressing that the city remains under Ukrainian control.
Moscow insists that any settlement must include full Russian control over Donbas, while Kyiv rejects this condition. Last month, Zelensky called for a face-to-face meeting with Putin, but the Russian leader rejected the proposal.
Ushakov said Trump conveyed that U.S. representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would continue their efforts to reach a deal and are ready to visit Moscow again. U.S. diplomatic efforts have nearly ground to a halt as Washington's attention has shifted to the war with Iran. Ushakov added that Putin expressed hope that U.S. diplomatic activities regarding Iran would "allow for finding mutually acceptable long-term solutions on key issues of the settlement." Putin also reminded Trump of the existing 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.
