Christine Drews Sieger
Trump and Putin discussed the war in Ukraine and U.S.-Russia relations during a lengthy phone call ahead of the NATO summit.
A phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday put the war in Ukraine back in focus just days before the NATO summit in Turkey.
According to the Kremlin, both developments on the battlefield and relations between Moscow and Washington were discussed during the call, 20Minutos reports.
Focus on the front line
According to Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, the call took place in connection with the United States’ 250th Independence Day at the request of the White House.
The conversation lasted 1 hour and 25 minutes, Ushakov said, according to the EFE news agency. The war in Ukraine was one of the central topics of the call, the Kremlin said, according to 20Minutos.
During the conversation, Putin presented Russia’s assessment of the situation on the front line and maintained that Russian forces continue their offensive in the Donbas.
“No matter how much the Kyiv regime clings to its remaining strongholds, our army will capture them all without exception.”
The Kremlin’s assessment
According to Ushakov, Putin also told Trump that, in Russia’s view, Ukraine and the European Union are misjudging developments on the front line.
He also claimed that Russian forces continue to advance and seize new territory.
The Kremlin also highlighted Russia’s claimed capture of Kostiantynivka, which it described on Friday as a significant advance in its offensive. The information comes from Russian authorities and has not been independently verified.
According to the Kremlin, Putin reiterated that Russia wants a negotiated settlement, but only if it reflects the country’s own demands and interests, 20Minutos reported.
Trump still wants an end to the war
According to the Kremlin, Trump said during the call that he remains committed to helping bring the war in Ukraine to an end, according to The Guardian.
The U.S. president is also expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the NATO summit, where the prospects for a diplomatic solution are expected to be discussed.
Following his phone call with Putin, Donald Trump also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to AP News.
According to Zelenskyy, they discussed developments on the battlefield, opportunities to bring the war to an end, and continued dialogue between their two countries.
Ukraine rejects Russia’s claim about Kostiantynivka
The Ukrainian president described the conversation as positive and said he expects to meet with Trump at the NATO summit in Turkey, where the war in Ukraine is expected to be one of the main topics.
However, Ukraine maintains that Kostiantynivka remains under Ukrainian control and that fighting is still ongoing in the area, according to The Guardian.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected Putin’s claim that the city had been captured, stressing that Russia’s claims do not reflect the actual situation on the battlefield.
Sources: 20Minutos, The Guardian, AP News
