Russian President Vladimir Putin told U.S. President Donald Trump that Moscow “will not step back from its goals” in Ukraine, during a phone conversation on Thursday—their sixth known call since Trump’s return to the White House in January.
According to the Kremlin, the leaders discussed several key global issues, including the ongoing war in Ukraine, rising tensions with Iran, and the broader trajectory of U.S.-Russia relations.
Putin reiterated Russia’s conditions for ending hostilities in Ukraine, including Kyiv’s withdrawal from its NATO aspirations and recognition of Russian control over territories seized since the 2022 invasion. He restated Moscow’s justification for the war, citing the need to block NATO expansion and protect Russian-speaking communities—claims widely rejected by Ukraine and its Western allies.
Trump reportedly emphasized the need for a swift end to the conflict. The call came as the U.S. Defense Department confirmed a temporary pause in certain weapons shipments to Ukraine to reassess military inventories. Delayed supplies include critical air defense systems and precision-guided munitions.
On Iran, the Kremlin said Putin urged a political and diplomatic resolution to rising tensions, following recent U.S. airstrikes on targets inside Iran on June 22.
Speaking in Denmark, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted he expects to speak with Trump “in the coming days” regarding the implications of the arms pause. When asked about the Trump-Putin dialogue, Zelenskyy remarked, “I’m not sure that they have many common ideas… they are very different people.”
The latest exchange highlights a resurgence in high-level contacts between Washington and Moscow, and comes just days after Putin’s first conversation in nearly three years with French President Emmanuel Macron. The renewed dialogue between Trump and Putin signals an attempt to recalibrate ties strained by years of geopolitical confrontation and war. (Source: IE)
