Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky each spoke by phone to US President Donald Trump on Sunday, as Mr Trump marked his 80th birthday and the war in Ukraine remained a flashpoint ahead of this week’s G7 summit.
Mr Putin’s call with Mr Trump lasted just under an hour, according to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, who briefed reporters afterwards.
On Ukraine, Mr Ushakov said Mr Trump emphasised the need to end hostilities and stated his readiness to influence European allies and Kyiv toward that goal, including at the upcoming G7 summit.
Mr Trump also said that recent strikes on civilian targets in Russia complicate a settlement – though the White House has not confirmed that, nor commented on the call – and said that ending the war quickly could open the door to “a truly new quality of US-Russian relations”, Mr Ushakov quoted him as saying.
Mr Putin, for his part, argued that attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure by Kyiv would not change Ukraine’s position on the battlefield, and said that if Mr Zelensky wants a meeting with him, “let him come to Moscow”, according to Mr Ushakov.
US envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to travel to Russia soon, Mr Ushakov said.
The leaders also discussed Iran, where Mr Trump said a US agreement with Tehran was close and that he hoped the results of the talks could be made public today, Mr Ushakov said.
Mr Zelensky said in a statement on Telegram on Sunday that he had a “wonderful conversation” with Mr Trump.
Beyond congratulating Mr Trump on his birthday, the Ukrainian president said he thanked the US president for supporting Ukraine.
He said they discussed “what could help bring peace closer now”, without providing details. Mr Zelensky also informed Mr Trump about how Ukraine’s position along the eastern front line has improved and strengthened.
“We agreed to discuss more during our meeting at the G7 summit,” he said.
The calls came as Mr Trump prepared to mark his birthday with a UFC fight on the White House lawn Sunday evening. Once it concludes, Mr Trump is set to fly overnight to France for the G7 summit, where Ukraine is expected to be a major topic of discussion Tuesday and Mr Zelensky is due to join the gathering.
Russia’s war in Ukraine has long frustrated Mr Trump, who as a candidate claimed he could end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office.
He has since stopped making such claims. He has also grown increasingly vexed by the war between Israel and Iran, which has driven up gas prices, rattled financial markets and stoked concerns about inflation.
The diplomatic exchanges came against the backdrop of continued fighting. Ukrainian drone attacks killed one person and wounded nine others overnight in a residential building in the regional capital of Russia’s Oryol region, Governor Andrei Klychkov said on Sunday.
Another drone attack killed one person on Sunday in Russia’s Bryansk region, local authorities said.
A separate drone strike hit fuel storage facilities in Russia’s Yaroslavl region, around 440 miles from the Ukrainian border, sparking fires. Zelenskyy said the strike had hit “an oil facility that was important for the reserve of the aggressor state.”
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian oil and gas infrastructure in recent months, arguing the sector funds Moscow’s invasion.