Putin, Trump Agree on US Envoy Visit to Russia in Call
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a phone call on the 14th to discuss developments in Ukraine and the Middle East. The Russian side said the two leaders agreed that US envoys handling Ukraine peace talks would visit Russia soon.
Exchange on Ukraine
After the call, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, who handles foreign policy, told reporters that Putin had told Trump that 'Ukraine's attacks on Russian facilities do not change the battlefield situation'. He also repeated Moscow's longstanding position that if President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to meet Putin, he should travel to Moscow.
Ukraine has stepped up drone attacks on refineries inside Russia. Fuel rationing has emerged in some areas, including Moscow, while fuel shortages have worsened on the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula in southern Ukraine.
Visit by US Envoys and the Middle East
According to Ushakov, Trump called for an end to military action and said he was ready to respond to outreach to European countries and Ukraine, including ahead of the Group of Seven summit starting on the 15th. It was also agreed that US special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner would visit Russia soon.
Meanwhile, US-mediated peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have stalled, as negotiations over ending the fighting between the US and Iran have dragged on. The issue was also raised in the 14th phone call, and Trump reportedly said an agreement could be announced as early as the 14th. The call lasted about an hour.
Birthday Wishes and the Road Ahead
Trump turned 80 on the 14th. According to Ushakov, Putin conveyed his congratulations informally. Trump said Putin was the first among foreign leaders to call and offer birthday wishes, expressing his thanks, Ushakov said.
The phone call between the two leaders was their first since April 29. Ahead of the G7 summit, Putin is seen as seeking to maintain relations with the US while steering Ukraine peace talks in Russia's favor. In their April call, Putin said Russia would work with the US and Israel toward a peaceful resolution to halt fighting with Iran, and offered involvement in the issue of Iran's uranium enrichment. Trump again called for an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine at that time.
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