US President Donald Trump has held separate telephone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of this week’s NATO summit in Ankara, as diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine remain stalled despite renewed international engagement.
The calls, which coincided with celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, focused heavily on the conflict in Ukraine and prospects for reviving negotiations after more than four years of fighting.
According to Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, Trump and Putin spoke for about 85 to 90 minutes, discussing developments on the battlefield, the upcoming NATO summit in Turkey and wider geopolitical concerns, including tensions in the Middle East.
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“The presidents naturally addressed the issue of a settlement in Ukraine, taking into account Donald Trump’s upcoming participation in the NATO summit in Turkey on July 7 and 8,” Ushakov said.
The Kremlin official added that Trump expressed willingness to continue efforts aimed at finding a diplomatic solution to the conflict and indicated that senior US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner could make another visit to Moscow.
Putin also congratulated Trump on the United States’ 250th Independence Day anniversary.
Earlier on Saturday, Zelensky revealed that he had also spoken with Trump, describing the conversation as positive and expressing hope that renewed diplomacy could help end the war.
“President Trump and I discussed the current situation on the frontline as well as our diplomatic efforts. There is a real prospect to put an end to this war, and America’s resolve is decisive. We have agreed to continue these discussions during the NATO Summit in Ankara,” Zelensky wrote on X.
The talks come at a time when battlefield gains remain limited for both sides.
Although Moscow maintains that Russian troops are advancing, analysts say the increasing use of drones has slowed major offensives and significantly altered combat dynamics across the front.
Negotiations have remained frozen over key demands, particularly Russia’s insistence that Ukrainian troops withdraw from the entire Donetsk region, a condition Kyiv has consistently rejected.
Ukraine has also intensified strikes deep inside Russian territory.
Russian officials reported that Ukrainian drones targeted oil infrastructure in St Petersburg and surrounding areas on Saturday, while authorities said air defence systems intercepted dozens of incoming drones.
Governor Alexander Beglov said an oil terminal in the Kirovsky district was hit, though there were no reported casualties.
Zelensky later confirmed that Ukrainian forces had struck the facility as well as military infrastructure in Kronstadt.
The Ankara summit is expected to bring together leaders from all 32 NATO member states, with discussions likely to focus on the future of military support for Ukraine, European security and efforts to revive diplomatic channels between Moscow and Kyiv.
