Dabbling Peace, Trump Dials Putin, Zelensky: Post Iran, US May Be Shifting Focus To Ukraine
US President Donald Trump has offered help to find a solution to end the Ukraine war to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said the offer came during a 90-minute telephonic conversation the US President had with Putin. Trump’s telephone call on Saturday came ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8.
Trump also called Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday, when the US celebrated America’s 250th anniversary, AFP reported.
“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 in comments released on Sunday.
The top Kremlin aide described Trump‘s conversation with Putin as “businesslike and quite constructive.”
The Russian President has reportedly sought “a political-diplomatic resolution of the conflict, with due account of Russia’s fundamental approach.”.
Zelensky, who confirmed his conversation with Trump on Saturday, said the talks were focussed on the Russia-Ukraine conflict’s 745-mile front line.
“There is a real prospect to end this war and American resolve will have a crucial meaning,” the Ukrainian president wrote on Telegram.
Trump and Zelensky will continue talks at the NATO summit.
The NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, is expected to host heads of state from 32 countries, including Trump.
Russia and Ukraine have reportedly made little progress on the frontlines as massive drone usage block the progress of heavy vehicles and thwart the prospect of inflicting losses.
Ushakov has charged that Ukraine and its European backers were “counting on extending and even escalating the conflict, and on terrorism against civilians.”
The reference is seen as indicating Russia’s frustration on Ukraine’s long-range attacks on Russian targets, mainly linked to the oil industry, which have triggered fuel shortages in several regions of the country.
However, Ushakov claimed that Putin “depicted the real situation on the battlefield where the Russian armed forces are confidently advancing, liberating one locality after another”.
Russian commanders reportedly briefed Putin on Friday that Moscow’s troops had captured the strategically important city of Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Ukraine has dismissed the claim, with Zelensky saying Kyiv’s forces still controlled the city.
In June, Zelenskyy had exhorted Putin to hold a one-on-one meeting, an offer which the Russian leader declined.
Trump reportedly conveyed the US stance that its envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would continue efforts to broker a deal. They were prepared to visit Moscow again to carry on efforts to find a solution, the US president said. Diplomatic efforts initiated by the US to end the Ukraine conflict paused after the US-Israeli war on Iran began in February.
Putin also conveyed optimism that the US diplomacy would “allow for mutually acceptable long-term solutions to be found on key issues of a settlement” on the Middle East conflict.
In Ankara, allied leaders also are expected to address Trump’s aggressive criticism of NATO. The European leaders say such criticism has given rise to concerns on the political cohesion between NATO member states, and affects the credibility of the alliance.
The Trump Administration’s top priority has been to prompt European allies and Canada to increase defense spending and assume greater responsibility for conventional defense in Europe.
European Union members are also wary of Trump’s attempts to sideline them as he continues with his direct parleys with Russia on ending the Ukraine conflict without giving an iota of representation for NATO member states.
