Russian President Vladimir Putin told US President Donald Trump that Moscow would not “give up” on its aims in Ukraine but remained open to continuing negotiations, the Kremlin said on Thursday after a phone call between the two leaders.
“Our president said that Russia will achieve the aims it set, that is to say the root causes that led to the current state of affairs,” Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters. “Russia will not give up on these aims,” he added.
“He also spoke of the readiness of the Russian side to continue the negotiation process,” Ushakov said, adding that the call lasted almost an hour.
Putin also stressed the need for diplomacy in resolving tensions in Iran and the broader Middle East.
“From the Russian side, the importance of settling all disputed issues, disagreements, and conflictual situations be solved exclusively by politico-diplomatic means was stressed,” Ushakov said.
US pauses arms transfer to Ukraine after record Russian strike
The calls come after the Trump administration earlier this week paused the transfer of artillery shells and air defence systems to Ukraine, a move that reportedly caught Kyiv and its allies by surprise. The US decision followed a record Russian airstrike on Ukraine, as the war enters its fourth year.
{{/usCountry}}The calls come after the Trump administration earlier this week paused the transfer of artillery shells and air defence systems to Ukraine, a move that reportedly caught Kyiv and its allies by surprise. The US decision followed a record Russian airstrike on Ukraine, as the war enters its fourth year.
{{/usCountry}}The White House has said that the suspension of weapons deliveries followed a review of US munitions stockpiles, amid concerns that inventory levels had dropped too low.
Among the halted supplies are 155mm artillery shells and Patriot air defence systems, both critical to Ukraine’s efforts to counter Russian drone and missile attacks.
President Trump entered office promising a swift end to the Ukraine war, but his efforts have made little headway. Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused calls to cease hostilities and has rejected requests for a face-to-face meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
While lower-level talks between the two countries have led to prisoner swaps, they have failed to produce a broader resolution to the conflict.