Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump held an hour-long telephone conversation, which was the sixth publicly known contact between the two leaders since Trump took office in January 2025, according to Reuters.

The main topic was the war in Ukraine, but the presidents also discussed the situation in the Middle East. According to Russian and international sources, Putin insisted that Russia would not abandon its goals, while Trump advocated for a swift ceasefire.

According to Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov, cited by Reuters, Putin emphasized that Russia would not deviate from its goals in Ukraine, specifically the elimination of the "root causes" of the conflict. The TASS news agency clarified that the Kremlin refers to the expansion of NATO, the presence of foreign troops in Ukraine, and demands for "denazification" and "demilitarization."

According to TASS, Putin expressed a willingness to continue diplomatic negotiations, but only under conditions that take into account Russian interests, including a ban on Ukraine's accession to NATO and recognition of the annexed territories. Ushakov added that a specific plan for a personal meeting between the presidents was not agreed upon, but they agreed to continue the dialogue.

Trump, on the other hand, advocated for an immediate ceasefire. On the social media platform Truth Social, he described the call as "excellent" and suggested that it could lead to economic cooperation between the United States and Russia after the war. According to Reuters, Trump again proposed a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine supported in negotiations in Saudi Arabia, but which Russia rejects unless its conditions are met.

In addition to Ukraine, according to TASS and AP News, the presidents also discussed the Middle East, specifically Iran's nuclear program. Putin offered Trump Russian assistance in negotiations with Iran, seeking to present Russia as a global partner. Ushakov emphasized that this issue was one of the main points of discussion, and Putin expressed concern about the escalation of tensions between Israel and Iran.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed skepticism about Putin's demands, which he described as an attempt to undermine Ukrainian sovereignty, on the platform X. According to him, conditions such as recognizing the annexed territories or limiting the Ukrainian army are unacceptable. Zelenskyy called for greater international pressure on Russia and emphasized that Kyiv is ready for a ceasefire, but not at the cost of surrender.

European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, expressed concern about Trump's talks with Putin. According to The Guardian, von der Leyen warned that agreements reached without the participation of Ukraine could jeopardize its position. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, according to The Washington Post, criticized Trump's passive approach, which, according to him, gives Russia room for further military action.

TASS quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who declined to provide details about the conversation in order to "not disrupt the negotiation process." The Kremlin indicated that it is preparing for another round of negotiations with Ukraine, but without a specific timeline.
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