Trump offers help to Putin in a phone call, discusses upcoming Nato summit in Ankara

In a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump offered help in finding a solution to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The revalation was made by Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov on Sunday. While addressing the media, Ushakov said that Trump made the offer during his call with Putin on Saturday, while the Russian president was wishing him a happy US Independence Day.

He mentioned that the two leaders also spoke in the context of his participation next week at ​the NATO summit in Turkey. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said that he spoke to Trump.

"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, Reuters reported. 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."

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Russia accuses Ukraine of escalating the conflict

During the presser, Ushakov also accused Ukraine and its European allies of "counting on extending and even escalating the conflict, and on terrorism against civilians." The Russian official 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.

Ushakov maintained that Putin "depicted the real situation on the battlefield where the Russian armed forces are confidently advancing, liberating ​one locality after another." Meanwhile, 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, Zelenskyy 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 rejected that assertion, and Zelenskyy urged Putin last month to hold a one-on-one meeting with him, but the Kremlin leader refused.