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US President Donald Trump held separate telephone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday, discussing the war in Ukraine ahead of this week’s NATO summit in Ankara, according to the Kremlin and the Ukrainian leader.
The calls, which both sides said also marked the 250th anniversary of US independence, focused on efforts to end the more than four-year conflict and preparations for the NATO gathering scheduled for July 7-8 in the Turkish capital.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said Trump and Putin discussed prospects for a settlement in Ukraine, taking into account Trump’s participation in the upcoming NATO summit.
“The presidents naturally addressed the issue of a settlement in Ukraine, taking into account, in particular, Donald Trump’s upcoming participation in the NATO summit in Turkey on July 7 and 8,” Ushakov told Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency.
According to the Kremlin, the 85-minute conversation also covered developments in Iran and the wider Middle East.
Earlier, Zelensky described his conversation with Trump as “a very good phone call”, saying they discussed the battlefield situation and ongoing diplomatic efforts.
“President Trump and I discussed the current situation on the frontline as well as our diplomatic efforts. There is a real prospect to put an end to this war, and America’s resolve is decisive. We have agreed to continue these discussions during the NATO Summit in Ankara,” Zelensky wrote on X.
The NATO summit is expected to bring together heads of state and government from the alliance’s 32 member countries, with Trump among the leaders due to attend.
According to Ushakov, Putin told Trump that Russian forces were continuing to make progress on the battlefield. However, despite Moscow’s claims, the front line has changed little in recent months.
Military analysts say the widespread use of drones by both sides has significantly slowed large-scale offensives, making the movement of heavy equipment increasingly difficult and causing heavy casualties.
Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict also remain deadlocked. Russia continues to demand that Ukrainian forces withdraw from the entire Donetsk region as a condition for peace, a proposal Kyiv has repeatedly rejected.
With negotiations stalled and fighting continuing, the Ankara summit is expected to provide another opportunity for Western leaders to discuss the future of the war and possible diplomatic pathways to a settlement.
