US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone for about an hour on Tuesday, with the Ukraine war, prospects for restoring US-Russia relations, trade and economic ties and prisoner
exchanges among the issues discussed, Kremlin said.
The call came days after US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travelled to Moscow and Kyiv in an attempt to revive stalled diplomatic efforts to end the war. The weekend meetings did not produce an immediate breakthrough but they were viewed positively by both Trump and Putin, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said.
Here is what Trump and Putin discussed:
1. Trump Wants Ukraine War To End Quickly
Trump told Putin that he wanted the conflict in Ukraine to be brought to an end as soon as possible. According to the Kremlin , Trump believes ending the war would open the way for a major improvement in US-Russia relations. Trump also wants a breakthrough during his presidency, the Kremlin said.
2. US-Russia Relations Could Be Restored After War
A central point of Trump’s message was that a swift end to the conflict could allow Washington and Moscow to move towards a full restoration of relations. The Kremlin said Putin supported Trump’s approach, suggesting that Moscow also sees an end to the Ukraine conflict as a possible opening for a broader reset in bilateral ties.
3. Trade And Economic Ties Were Discussed
Trump also linked an end to the war with the possibility of rebuilding economic relations between the US and Russia. The Kremlin said Trump believes improved relations could have a particularly significant impact on trade and economic cooperation, creating substantial benefits for both countries. However, the Kremlin did not announce any specific new US-Russia trade agreement or economic deal following the call.
4. Putin Briefed Trump On Battlefield Situation
Putin gave Trump his assessment of the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine, according to the Kremlin. Putin also discussed what he believed the United States could do to help bring the conflict to an end. The Kremlin did not publicly provide details of those proposals.
5. Weekend US Diplomatic Mission Was Discussed
Trump and Putin reviewed the recent talks involving Witkoff and Kushner. The two leaders assessed the US envoys’ meetings in Moscow and Kyiv positively, with Kremlin saying they viewed the diplomatic efforts with a “plus sign”. The envoys had held discussions with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Washington attempted to restart negotiations.
6. No Immediate Three-Way Summit Announced
The weekend diplomacy raised the possibility of renewed three-way negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States. However, the Kremlin did not mention a specific three-way meeting in its readout of the Trump-Putin conversation. Zelenskyy separately said Ukrainian, US and European representatives were expected to work towards another meeting, with Turkey, the UAE and Switzerland among possible hosts.
7. Prisoner Exchanges On The Agenda
Putin and Trump agreed on the need to continue prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine, the Kremlin said. The issue has been one of the few areas where Moscow and Kyiv have maintained a degree of practical engagement despite the wider diplomatic deadlock. Zelenskyy has also called for prisoner-of-war exchanges to continue and be accelerated.
8. Putin Said Russia Has No Hostile Plans Towards Europe
Putin also used the conversation to address European concerns about Russia’s intentions. According to the Kremlin, Putin told Trump that Russia had “no aggressive plans whatsoever” towards European countries. The Kremlin said claims of a Russian threat were being used by European governments to justify increased support for Ukraine and higher military spending.
