Trump Tells Putin US Ready to Help End Ukraine War During 90-Minute Phone Conversation

US President Donald Trump has offered American assistance in finding a political solution to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war during a 90-minute telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the Kremlin.

The call, which took place on Saturday as Putin extended Independence Day greetings to Trump, also included discussions on the upcoming NATO summit scheduled to be held in Ankara, Turkey, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said while briefing reporters on Sunday.

According to Ushakov, Trump reiterated his willingness to work towards bringing an end to the conflict in Ukraine and expressed readiness to support efforts aimed at achieving a negotiated settlement.

"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, describing the conversation as "business-like and quite constructive."

He added that Russia continued to favour what it called a "political-diplomatic resolution" of the conflict, provided any settlement takes into account Moscow's core strategic interests.

The latest conversation comes amid renewed diplomatic activity surrounding the Ukraine conflict and ahead of the NATO summit, where the war is expected to remain one of the alliance's principal agenda items.

Ushakov said the two leaders also exchanged views regarding Trump's expected participation in the summit in Ankara next week, though no additional details of those discussions were disclosed.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that he had also spoken with Trump, although the Ukrainian presidency did not immediately provide details of their conversation.

The Kremlin briefing also included fresh accusations against Ukraine and its European partners. Ushakov alleged that Kyiv and its Western allies were seeking to prolong and escalate the conflict through continued military operations.

He specifically referred to Ukraine's long-range drone strikes targeting Russian oil infrastructure, which Moscow claims have disrupted fuel supplies in several regions.

According to Ushakov, Putin used the conversation to present what he described as the "real situation" on the battlefield, asserting that Russian forces were continuing to make territorial gains in eastern Ukraine.

Russian military commanders had informed Putin on Friday that Russian troops had captured the strategically significant city of Kostiantynivka in Ukraine's Donetsk region.

However, Ukraine has rejected that claim. On Saturday, both President Zelenskyy and Ukraine's General Staff stated that Ukrainian forces remained in control of the city and continued to defend their positions.

The differing battlefield narratives underscore the continuing information war accompanying the military conflict, with both Moscow and Kyiv issuing conflicting accounts of developments on the ground.

Russia has consistently maintained that any future peace agreement must recognise its control over the Donbas region, including territories currently occupied by Russian forces. Ukraine has firmly rejected those demands, insisting that its internationally recognised borders remain non-negotiable.

Last month, Zelenskyy publicly invited Putin to hold direct face-to-face talks in an effort to explore possible avenues for ending the conflict. The Kremlin, however, declined the proposal, indicating that such a meeting was not under consideration.

Trump has repeatedly stated that he wants to see the war brought to an end through negotiations and has emphasised the need for renewed diplomatic engagement between the two sides.

The latest phone call signals continued high-level contacts between Washington and Moscow even as fighting persists on the battlefield. Whether Trump's latest outreach results in renewed peace efforts remains uncertain, with both Russia and Ukraine continuing to maintain sharply different positions on the conditions required for a negotiated settlement.