US President Donald Trump, during a nearly 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, again offered assistance in finding ways to end the war in Ukraine. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
According to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, the conversation took place on Saturday, US Independence Day, and lasted about 90 minutes. He called the talk "businesslike and very constructive."
"The American president once again confirmed his readiness to work on the earliest possible cessation of hostilities and finding solutions to overcome the crisis," Ushakov said, commenting on the leaders' conversation.
According to him, Putin stated Russia's readiness for a "political-diplomatic settlement" of the conflict, provided Moscow's position is taken into account. At the same time, Ushakov accused Kyiv and its European allies of seeking further escalation of the war.
The Russian presidential aide also said that Putin informed Trump about the situation at the front and stated that Russian troops continue their offensive. In particular, he mentioned Konstantinovka in the Donetsk region, which Moscow had previously reported capturing. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine rejected these claims, emphasizing that the city remains under Ukrainian control.
As Reuters notes, Moscow still insists that any peace agreement must provide for full Russian control over Donbas. Kyiv rejects this position. Earlier, Zelensky proposed a personal meeting with Putin, but the Kremlin refused.
Ushakov also said that US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will continue mediation efforts and are ready to visit Moscow again. In addition, Putin confirmed that the invitation for Trump to visit the Russian capital remains open.
The conversation also touched on the situation in the Middle East. According to Ushakov, Putin expressed hope that Washington's diplomatic efforts would help find a long-term solution regarding Iran.
Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky also reported a phone call with Donald Trump. The Ukrainian president called the conversation "very good" and said the sides discussed the situation on the 1,200-kilometer front line.
"There is a real prospect of ending this war, and America's determination will be crucial," Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel.
According to the Ukrainian leader, he congratulated the US on the 250th anniversary of independence and also agreed with Trump to continue discussing ways to end the war during the NATO summit, which will be held on July 7-8 in Turkey.