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Trump offers to broker Ukraine peace deal: Key takeaways from his calls with Putin, Zelensky
Trump reiterated his willingness to help bring an end to the conflict during an 90-minute phone call with Putin.
US President Donald Trump held separate phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday, using the conversations to push his offer to help broker an end to the war in Ukraine.
The calls, held ahead of a key NATO summit in Turkey, touched on battlefield developments, peace negotiations and the role Washington could play in reviving talks between Moscow and Kyiv.
According to the Kremlin, Trump reiterated his willingness to help bring an end to the conflict during a 90-minute phone call with Putin, a news agency Reuters report said.
What Trump discussed with Putin, Zelensky
Putin used the call to congratulate Trump on the 250th anniversary of US independence, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said.
“The presidents naturally touched on the topic of a Ukrainian settlement, including in light of Trump’s upcoming participation in the NATO summit in Turkey on July 7-8,” news agency Bloomberg quoted Ushakov as saying.
“The American president reaffirmed his readiness to facilitate a swift end to hostilities and the search for solutions to overcome the crisis.”
Putin briefed Trump on the latest battlefield developments and stressed Moscow's preference for resolving the conflict through political and diplomatic means while taking into account what he described as Russia's fundamental positions, the Kremlin aide added.
Trump later spoke with the Ukrainian counterpart, who also congratulated him on the US anniversary. Zelensky said the two leaders reviewed the situation on the front lines and ongoing diplomatic initiatives.
Writing on Telegram, Zelensky described the conversation as “very good,” reported Reuters.
“There is a real prospect to end this war and American resolve will have a crucial meaning,” he said.
Zelensky added that he and Trump agreed to continue discussions during the upcoming NATO gathering.
US envoys to continue mediation efforts
Ushakov said Trump indicated that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would continue efforts to mediate a settlement between Moscow and Kyiv, Reuters reported.
According to the Kremlin aide, the envoys remain prepared to travel to Moscow if needed as part of the ongoing diplomatic push.
The renewed outreach comes at a time when US-led negotiations have largely stalled. Diplomatic attention in Washington has recently shifted toward the conflict involving Iran, slowing momentum in efforts aimed at securing a Ukraine settlement.
Ushakov also said Putin expressed hope that US diplomatic engagement in the Iran crisis would help produce "mutually acceptable long-term solutions" and reminded Trump that he remains welcome to visit Moscow, the news agency's report added.
NATO summit looms
The calls took place just days before NATO leaders gather in Turkey for a summit beginning Tuesday.
Support for Ukraine is expected to be a major agenda item after Russia launched one of its deadliest aerial assaults of the year on Kyiv on Thursday, killing 30 people. Russian forces also struck several other regions, including Kharkiv, Sumy, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Cherkasy.
At the same time, Ukraine has intensified drone and missile attacks inside Russia, targeting infrastructure including oil refineries. The strikes have disrupted operations at several facilities and contributed to fuel shortages in some areas.
Trump is expected to arrive at the summit after repeatedly urging NATO allies to shoulder a greater share of Europe's defense burden while also pushing for reductions in the US military footprint on the continent.
