In their first conversation since the United States suspended a series of arms shipments to Ukraine, President Donald J. Trump reportedly spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin on Thursday, urging an end to the protracted war that has gripped Eastern Europe for more than three years.
According to a summary released by the Kremlin, the Russian leader rebuffed Trump’s request for a swift conclusion to the conflict, instead reaffirming Moscow’s commitment to its stated war aims.
The White House has yet to issue its own account of the call.
“Russia will achieve its goals,” said Yuri Ushakov, a senior aide to President Putin, following the call. Citing the Kremlin’s longstanding rhetoric, Ushakov said those goals include addressing what Moscow considers the “root causes” of the war — a reference widely understood to mean curbing Ukraine’s Western alliances and undermining its sovereignty.
Putin did express willingness to resume negotiations with Kyiv, but Ushakov indicated that no specific timeline for such talks was discussed.
He added that Trump and Putin did not address the U.S. decision to halt weapons deliveries to Ukraine, which has sparked anxiety in Kyiv as Russian forces intensify airstrikes on major cities.
The conversation came as Trump navigates a delicate diplomatic balancing act, facing mounting pressure from allies and lawmakers to reassert American support for Ukraine, even as he pursues a more restrained posture in U.S. foreign commitments.
At the NATO summit last week, Trump offered unusually pointed criticism of Putin, laying blame for the ongoing conflict squarely on the Russian president’s shoulders.
The comments were interpreted by some in Washington as a sign of a potential hardening stance, even as the administration recalibrates its military aid strategy.
Last month, U.S. officials failed to secure a short-term cease-fire during back-channel talks with Russian intermediaries.
The breakdown contributed to the administration’s controversial decision to delay the transfer of key defense systems, including Patriot missile batteries, raising concerns among Ukrainian officials over their ability to defend against increasingly sophisticated Russian attacks.
An administration official confirmed that President Trump is expected to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, a conversation likely to focus on the evolving military and diplomatic landscape and the future of U.S. support.
The juxtaposition of calls — first with Moscow, then with Kyiv — underscores the complex role Washington continues to play in shaping the fate of a war that shows few signs of resolution.
