Russian President Vladimir Putin has told US President Donald Trump that Moscow will not give up on its goal of eliminating the “root causes” of the war in Ukraine. According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, Putin expressed a “readiness” to “seek a political and negotiated solution to the conflict” during a one-hour phone conversation with Trump on Thursday.
However, Ushakov emphasized that any peace negotiations need to occur between Moscow and Kyiv, suggesting that Russia is trying to avoid a trilateral format for talks.
The phrase “root causes” refers to the Kremlin’s argument that it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to prevent the country from joining NATO and being used by the Western alliance as a launchpad to attack Russia.
Trump said after the call that he had made “no progress” with Putin on moving towards a ceasefire, adding that he was “not happy” about the war in Ukraine. The phone call, their sixth since Trump started his second term in January, came the day after the Pentagon confirmed it was halting some weapons deliveries to Kyiv, including air defense missiles and precision-guided artillery.
Trump and Putin did not discuss the paused weapons deliveries, according to the Kremlin aide. Instead, Trump raised the issue of bringing about a swift end to the war. While the prospect of a face-to-face meeting was not discussed, the two leaders agreed to keep talking.
Putin emphasized the need to resolve all “disputes, disagreements and conflict situations” regarding Iran through diplomatic means. The US waded into the Israel-Iran conflict last month, bombing three of Iran’s nuclear sites, a move condemned by Moscow as unprovoked and illegal.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met European Union leaders in Denmark, saying doubts over US military aid to Ukraine reinforced the need to “strengthen our cooperation and coordination through the EU, NATO and also in our direct relations.” Zelenskyy told reporters he hopes to speak to Trump as soon as Friday about the pause in weapons shipments. Trump has in effect nixed Ukraine’s attempts to join the NATO military alliance.
The phone call between Trump and Putin comes as Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine. The US had proposed an unconditional ceasefire, which Ukraine supported, but Putin’s stance remains unchanged. The Kremlin readout suggests that Moscow is not willing to compromise on its goals in Ukraine, and the conflict is likely to continue. As the situation unfolds, the international community remains watchful, with many calling for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.