U.S. ​President Offers to Help Find Solution to Ukraine War in Call with Russian Counterpart

Kremlin.ru

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

U.S. President Donald Trump offered to help find a solution to the war in Ukraine during a telephone conversation lasting nearly 90 minutes with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said in remarks released early on Sunday.

Ushakov said Trump made the offer during the call on Saturday, U.S. Independence Day, in the context of his participation next week at the NATO summit in Türkiye.

"The American president once again confirmed his readiness to work towards a rapid end to the fighting and ⁠find solutions to overcome the crisis," Ushakov said of Trump's call with the Russian president.

Ushakov, who described the conversation as "business-like and quite constructive," said Russia sought "a political-diplomatic resolution of the conflict, with due account of Russia's fundamental approach."

He also accused Kyiv and its European allies of "counting on extending and even escalating the conflict, and on terrorism against civilians."

Ushakov was referring to Ukraine's long-range strikes on Russian targets, mainly linked to the oil industry, which have triggered fuel shortages in several Russian regions.

He said Putin "depicted the real situation on the battlefield where the Russian armed forces are confidently advancing, liberating one locality after another."

Russian commanders told Putin on Friday that Moscow's troops had captured the strategically important city of Kostiantynivka in ‌eastern ⁠Ukraine's Donetsk region.

On Saturday, Zelenskiy and Ukraine's General Staff dismissed that claim, saying Kyiv's forces still controlled the city.

Russia has said any solution must include Moscow assuming full control over Ukraine's Donbas region. Ukraine rejects that assertion and Zelenskiy urged Putin last month to hold a one-on-one meeting with him, but the Kremlin leader refused.

Ushakov quoted Trump as saying that Washington's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared ⁠Kushner, would keep trying to broker a settlement and were prepared to make another visit to Moscow.

U.S. diplomatic efforts have virtually stalled as Washington is focused on the war with Iran.

Ushakov said Putin expressed hope during the conversation that U.S. diplomatic efforts in the Iran ⁠conflict would "allow for mutually acceptable long-term solutions to be found on key issues of a settlement."

He added that Putin also reminded Trump that he had an open invitation to visit Moscow.

Zelenskiy, writing on his Telegram account, described his conversation with ⁠the U.S. president as "very good," including a discussion on the war's 1,200-km (746-mile) front line.

"There is a real prospect to end this war and American resolve will have a crucial meaning," he said. Zelenskiy said he and Trump agreed to continue discussions at the NATO meeting.

Source: Reuters



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