Investing.com — U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the war in Ukraine, the conflict involving Iran, and next week’s NATO summit during an 85-minute phone call on Saturday, Bloomberg reported, citing the Kremlin.
According to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, Putin congratulated Trump on the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence before the two leaders turned to the conflict in Ukraine.
Trump reiterated his willingness to help bring about a swift end to the war, while Moscow said it continued to favor a political and diplomatic settlement that takes Russia’s core interests into account.
The conversation also covered preparations for the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8. Ushakov said U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would continue efforts to facilitate negotiations and remain prepared to travel to Moscow for further talks.
The two presidents also discussed Iran and agreed on the importance of maintaining dialogue on military, political, and economic issues, according to the Kremlin.
The call comes as Trump prepares to meet NATO leaders after urging European allies to increase defense spending and shoulder a greater share of the alliance’s security burden.
The administration has also announced plans to reduce the number of U.S. troops stationed in Europe and scale back military assets allocated to the continent during a crisis.
The discussions also follow an escalation in fighting between Russia and Ukraine. Russia said on Friday its forces had captured the strategic city of Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine, a claim Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected on Saturday, saying the city remains under Kyiv’s control.
In recent weeks, Russia has intensified missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, including one of the deadliest attacks on Kyiv this year.
Ukraine has also expanded long-range drone attacks inside Russia, targeting energy infrastructure and military facilities as both sides continue to exchange strikes ahead of renewed diplomatic efforts.