Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump on September 8 discussed the Ukraine conflict in a constructive and "extremely frank" 1-hour phone call, the Kremlin said.
According to AFP, the phone call took place after two US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow and Kiev last weekend, to restart Washington's long-stalled efforts to end the fighting.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters, including AFP, that Mr. Putin and Mr. Trump had "focused on the settlement issue in Ukraine".
According to Mr. Ushakov, the US President called for a quick end to the fighting, while the Russian leader presented an "objective and detailed analysis" of the conflict situation. Mr. Putin has long affirmed that the Russian army is advancing on the entire front and controlling the entire Donbass region in the East is only a matter of time.
The Russian leader also "pointed out what the US could really do to quickly close hostilities", while emphasizing that Russia "has no plans to provoke" Europe. Mr. Trump and the White House did not immediately issue a statement about the phone call.
Washington is promoting new direct talks between Moscow and Kiev. The Ukrainian side believes that talks could take place this month, but the Kremlin at the beginning of the week affirmed that it is "too early" to discuss the location or time.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators could meet this month to find a way out of the war. "If all parties agree, we also want to hold it in the fall. If September is feasible, it would be great. The sooner the better," he said.
