President Trump spoke by cellphone with Russian strongman Vladimir Putin for about an hour Thursday, however there was no signal of any breakthrough towards ending the conflict in Ukraine.
Putin rebuffed Trump’s name for an “early end to hostilities,” and as a substitute insisted Russia wouldn’t abandon its “war goals” in invading its neighbor three years in the past, a Kremlin spokesman mentioned.
The decision comes simply days after the U.S. introduced a pause in deliveries of some protection weaponry to embattled Ukraine, together with air protection missiles, precision-guided artillery and different gear.
The pause would seemingly be welcomed by Putin as Russia presses its benefit on the battlefield though the Kremlin mentioned it didn’t come up throughout the name with Trump.
Ukrainian rescuers conduct a search and rescue work in a closely broken residential constructing following the Russian missile strike in Kyiv on June 17, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photograph by GENYA SAVILOV/AFP by way of Getty Photos)
The chat was the leaders’ second in a month and the sixth publicly disclosed chat since Trump returned to the White Home this 12 months.
Their earlier publicly recognized name got here June 14, a day after Israel attacked Iran.
Trump and Putin make no secret of their want to restore U.S.-Russian ties which have plummeted to their lowest level since Putin invaded Ukraine.
The U.S. pause on protection help to Ukraine comes as Russia presses its invasion of Ukraine throughout the entrance traces and with heightened barrages of missiles and drone assaults on civilian targets.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned Washington and Kyiv are “clarifying all the details of defense support, including air defense.”
“One way or another, we must ensure protection for our people,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
Trump famously claimed throughout his presidential marketing campaign that he might finish the conflict in a day however later mentioned he was solely joking.
He largely blames Zelenskyy for the persevering with combating regardless that Putin has snubbed his demand for a ceasefire.
