Trump speaks with Putin and Zelenskyy as war in Ukraine rages on
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy each spoke by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday, as Trump marked his 80th birthday and the war in Ukraine remained a flashpoint ahead of this week's G7 summit.
TL;DR
- Trump spoke with Putin and Zelenskyy by phone on his 80th birthday, with the Ukraine war a central discussion point before the G7 summit.
- Trump expressed a readiness to influence European allies and Kyiv to end hostilities, noting that strikes on Russian civilian targets complicate a settlement.
- Putin stated that attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure would not change Ukraine's battlefield position and suggested Zelenskyy come to Moscow for a meeting.
- Zelenskyy described his call with Trump as 'wonderful,' thanked him for support, and noted improvements on the eastern front line, agreeing to discuss further at the G7.
- The calls coincided with Ukrainian drone attacks on residential buildings and fuel storage facilities in Russia, and the U.K. detaining a sanctioned Russian tanker.
- The U.K. views its boarding of the tanker as a blow to those fueling Putin's war in Ukraine.