U.S. President Donald Trump urged Russia’s Vladimir Putin during an hour-long phone call to end the war against Ukraine in order to open up “impressive” U.S.-Russian trade prospects, the Kremlin said Tuesday.
“Donald Trump clearly conveyed the idea that an early end to the conflict would be desirable,” Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov told reporters.
Trump was said to have pitched the idea, which Ushakov claimed Putin supports, as a way to “immediately open impressive and large-scale prospects for the full restoration” of U.S.-Russian relations.
Ushakov added that Trump emphasized the “enormous benefits” of developing U.S.-Russian trade and economic ties.
“Donald Trump is interested in achieving a breakthrough during his presidency,” he said.
The White House did not immediately confirm that Putin and Trump spoke by phone.
Putin continues to demand the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the unoccupied parts of eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region as a condition for peace, a stance rejected by Kyiv.
Ushakov said Putin provided Trump with an “objective and thorough analysis” of the current battlefield situation and his views about achieving the war’s objectives.
Tuesday’s phone call followed visits to Moscow and Kyiv by Trump’s special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. Ushakov said both presidents viewed the diplomatic outreach positively, while Putin continued to praise Trump’s mediation efforts.
According to Ushakov, the latest phone call outlined “specific measures” the U.S. could take to accelerate an end to the war.
“You understand yourselves that [the call] was confidential, so I will hardly be able to share many important details and nuances,” he said.
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