Russian President Vladimir Putin told US President Donald Trump during a phone call on Thursday that while Moscow remains open to a political solution in Ukraine, it will not retreat from its original war objectives, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
The call, which covered a range of international issues including Iran and broader Middle East tensions, saw Trump once again press for an end to the war in Ukraine, Ushakov told reporters.
“Vladimir Putin, for his part, noted that we continue to seek a political and negotiated solution to the conflict,” Ushakov said, adding that Moscow is prepared to continue dialogue with Kyiv.
Putin also briefed Trump on the recent exchange of prisoners of war and the repatriation of dead soldiers between Russia and Ukraine, a development stemming from agreements reached last month. However, the Kremlin’s readout made clear that Moscow remains firmly committed to what it calls the “root causes” of the conflict—primarily its opposition to Ukraine joining NATO and its perception of Western threats.
“Our president also said that Russia will achieve the goals it has set: that is, the elimination of the well-known root causes that led to the current state of affairs, to the current acute confrontation, and Russia will not back down from these goals,” Ushakov said.
Despite Trump’s campaign pledge to swiftly end the war, the Kremlin’s account of the conversation suggested no shift in Russia’s position. Trump has previously expressed understanding of Moscow’s objections to NATO expansion, a stance that has drawn criticism from Western allies.
Notably, the two leaders did not discuss Washington’s recent decision to halt certain shipments of military aid to Ukraine.
The conversation also touched on Iran, with Putin underscoring Russia’s position that conflicts must be resolved through political and diplomatic channels. This comes in the wake of the US military’s controversial strike on three Iranian nuclear sites last month—a move Moscow condemned as “unprovoked and illegal.”
He said, “the Russian side emphasised the importance of resolving all disputes, disagreements and conflict situations exclusively by political and diplomatic means.”
Melissa Enoch
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