US President Donald Trump spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin Saturday to discuss the conflict in Ukraine ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara, the Kremlin said. The call was to mark the 250th birthday of the United States.
“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,” said Yuri Ushakov, the Kremlin’s foreign policy aide, according to the RIA Novosti news agency.
He said the two leaders also discussed issues including Iran and the Middle East during the 85-minute call.
Meanwhile, Trump said he would deliver a speech in Washington on Saturday to mark America’s 250th birthday “no matter what” after severe weather forced the temporary evacuation of thousands of people.
A massive July Fourth celebration on Washington’s National Mall was evacuated on Saturday, due to an approaching severe thunderstorm.
A White House official and the Freedom 250 organizing group both said that Trump was now set to deliver the much-hyped address on the National Mall at 11pm (0300 GMT Sunday), followed by fireworks.
Earlier Saturday, Zelensky said he and Trump had also discussed the more than four years of war in his country, calling it a “very good phone call”.
“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,” he wrote on X.
Heads of state and delegations from 32 countries, including Trump, are expected to arrive in Ankara starting Tuesday for the summit.
Putin “outlined the actual situation on the battlefield (in Ukraine), where Russian armed forces are advancing confidently,” stated Ushakov.
Russia on Friday said it had captured the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostyantynivka, a key post on the road leading to the last major cities in the Donbas region under Kyiv’s control.
Ukraine denied Moscow’s announcement that Russian forces had captured the strategic Ukrainian city of Kostyantynivka, a stronghold for Kyiv’s troops in the eastern Donetsk region and a key target for the Kremlin. A Ukrainian army spokesman told AFP the city remained under its control.
On the front lines, Russian forces have made almost no progress in recent months, largely due to the presence of drones, which hinder the movement of heavy vehicles and inflict heavy losses on both sides.
Diplomatically, negotiations are at an impasse, with Moscow demanding the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the entire Donetsk region — a demand Kyiv rejects. (AFP)
