Trump Offers to Help Advance Ukraine Peace Talks in Call With Putin

U.S. President Donald Trump told Russian President Vladimir Putin that Washington remains ready to help advance efforts to end the war in Ukraine during a phone call that lasted nearly 90 minutes, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.

Speaking early Sunday, Ushakov said Trump reaffirmed his willingness to work toward a swift resolution of the conflict ahead of next week’s NATO summit in Turkey. According to the Kremlin, Trump emphasized that the United States is prepared to continue supporting diplomatic initiatives aimed at bringing the fighting to an end.

Ushakov said Russia continues to favor what it described as a political and diplomatic settlement, while insisting that any agreement must reflect Moscow’s core security interests. He also accused Ukraine and its European allies of prolonging the conflict and escalating hostilities through long-range strikes on Russian territory, particularly attacks targeting oil-related infrastructure.

The Kremlin aide added that Trump said U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would continue their mediation efforts and remain prepared to travel to Moscow again if it could help move negotiations forward.

During the conversation, Putin reportedly updated Trump on developments along the front lines, claiming Russian forces were making steady advances in eastern Ukraine. Ushakov said the Russian leader told Trump that troops were capturing one settlement after another as part of Moscow’s military campaign.

Russia’s military announced on Friday that its forces had seized the strategically significant city of Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Ukraine’s General Staff rejected that assertion on Saturday, maintaining that Ukrainian troops still controlled the city and continued to defend their positions.

The latest call highlights ongoing diplomatic efforts surrounding the Ukraine war, even as fighting continues and both Moscow and Kyiv offer sharply conflicting accounts of battlefield developments. With the NATO summit approaching, international attention is expected to focus on whether renewed negotiations can create momentum toward a possible ceasefire or broader peace agreement.