Trump and Putin Discuss Ukraine War in Phone Call, but No Progress Made

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a nearly hour-long phone call on Thursday, but Trump said no progress was made in efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, a Kremlin aide stated that Putin reiterated Moscow’s commitment to addressing the “root causes” of the conflict.

During the call, the two leaders did not discuss the recent pause in some U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. Trump, speaking to reporters at an air base outside Washington, admitted, “I didn’t make any progress with him at all,” before departing for a campaign-style event in Iowa.

The conversation comes as U.S. diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine have largely stalled, and Trump has faced increasing pressure—including from some Republicans—to push Putin to engage in serious negotiations.

Shortly after the call, a Russian drone attack sparked a fire in an apartment building in a northern suburb of Kyiv, Ukrainian officials reported. Explosions and heavy machine-gun fire were also heard in Kyiv as air defense units battled drones overhead. Russian shelling in eastern Ukraine killed five people, further underscoring the ongoing intensity of the conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed hope to speak with Trump as early as Friday about the pause in weapons shipments, which was first disclosed earlier this week. Trump clarified that the U.S. has not completely halted weapons deliveries but criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, for depleting U.S. stockpiles by sending too many weapons to Ukraine.

“We’re giving weapons, but we’ve given so many weapons. But we are giving weapons. And we’re working with them and trying to help them, but we haven’t. You know, Biden emptied out our whole country giving them weapons, and we have to make sure that we have enough for ourselves,” Trump said.

The pause in U.S. weapons shipments has left Ukraine vulnerable as it faces a Russian summer offensive and increasing attacks on civilian targets. The Pentagon has reportedly cut deliveries of Patriot defense missiles, which Ukraine relies on to intercept ballistic missiles.

Putin has maintained that Russia will only end the war if the “root causes” of the conflict are addressed, a reference to NATO enlargement and Western support for Ukraine. Kremlin officials have also emphasized that any peace negotiations must occur directly between Moscow and Kyiv, avoiding a trilateral format.