Putin and Trump held ‘businesslike’ 90-minute July 4 call, Moscow says
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Donald Trump lasting approximately 90 minutes on July 4, in which the US leader once again offered to help end the Ukraine war.
The call comes ahead of a critical NATO summit in Türkiye on Tuesday, which the US President plans to attend, and before Russian forces step up efforts to capture more of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, a key target for the Kremlin.
Meanwhile, Ukraine continued to target Russia’s energy infrastructure.
The foreign ministry said Putin personally congratulated Trump and the entire American people on this important holiday, the 250th anniversary of the US declaration of independence.
The meeting, the fourth this year, was “serious and highly constructive”, the ministry said, adding that Trump “reaffirmed his readiness to facilitate the cessation of hostilities as quickly as possible” in the Ukraine conflict.
CNN has reached out to the White House for comment on the call.
According to the foreign ministry, “the Russian side once again emphasized its preference for a political and diplomatic solution to the conflict.”
“Our President summarized the reality of the situation on the battlefield, where the Russian Armed Forces are advancing confidently,” the ministry said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said he had a “very good meeting” with Trump on Saturday.
“There is a real possibility to end this war, and America’s determination is decisive,” Zelensky said.
The conflict will form the backdrop to the upcoming NATO summit, after the US announced last month that it would “right-size its contributions to the NATO force model”, arguing that the alliance should not over-rely on US forces.
Russia’s Donetsk claims
The Kremlin has long insisted that the conflict would end only if Russia took all measures. Donbas The region in eastern Ukraine. This weekend, it allegedly took control of the town of Kostyantynivka in Donetsk, which the foreign ministry described as “an important milestone”.
The Ukrainian military told CNN that small groups of Russian soldiers had infiltrated the city but counter-sabotage operations were continuing.
“Ukrainian defenders continue to maintain their positions along the determined lines,” the statement said.
A unit fighting in the town released video of its soldiers there and said Russia’s claim was “disinformation designed to create the illusion of success.”
“This is just another Russian lie, an attempt to create some kind of news,” Zelensky said on Saturday.
In recent months, Ukrainian forces have retaken some areas in the south of the country, and Russian gains have been diminished by heavy casualties.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based think tank, “Putin’s and the Russian military command’s exaggerated claims about Russia’s performance on the battlefield are part of a narrative that seeks to portray Russia’s victory in Ukraine as inevitable and Ukraine’s front lines as collapsing.”
Ukraine has also stepped up missile and drone attacks on key Russian infrastructure, including oil refineries, ports and military factories, in recent weeks.
On Saturday, Ukrainian drones were deployed in St. Petersburg, which Zelensky said were “providing revenue for Russia’s war.” It hit an oil terminal in St. Petersburg.
Eight Russian oil refineries were attacked last month and more than 60 storage tanks were destroyed or seriously damaged, according to the Ukrainian military.
Ukrainian drones also targeted fuel and energy facilities in Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014. ISW Compared to a year ago, there are now much fewer electric lights seen at night in Crimea.
For more CNN news and newsletters, create an account at: CNN.com
