Trump Offered in Conversation With Putin to Help With Ukraine Settlement – Kremlin Aide

By Reuters July 5, 2026 Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Alaska in August 2025. Kremlin.ru U.S. President Donald Trump offered to help find a solution to the Ukraine war in a nearly 90-minute telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said early Sunday. Ushakov said Trump made the offer in the context of his participation next week at the NATO summit in Turkey. He quoted the U.S. president as saying that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would continue their efforts at brokering a settlement and were prepared to make another visit to Moscow. The Kremlin aide said Putin gave Trump a realistic assessment of the battlefield situation in Ukraine, where Russian commanders said on Friday that Moscow's troops had captured the strategically important city of Kostiantynivka. On Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelensky and the General Staff rejected that claim, saying it still controlled the eastern city. Read more about: Trump , Putin , Ukraine war Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Putin Plans to Meet Trump in Budapest. How Will He Get There? Putin is sanctioned by the West and wanted by the ICC on war crimes charges. That could complicate his travel to Hungary. 3 Min read Trump Acknowledges Putin Not Ready to End Ukraine War – WSJ It marks a notable departure for Trump, who has repeatedly said he believed his Russian counterpart was genuinely interested in peace. 2 Min read Macron Says Trump ‘Can Restart Useful Dialogue’ With Putin French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday that he will host another meeting on Ukraine after the talks between the new U.S. administration... 2 Min read 'Without Ukraine. Without Europe': Russian Pro-War Blogs React to U.S. Statements on Ukraine Russian pro-war bloggers responded to the news that Trump and Putin could negotiate peace in Ukraine with a mixture of praise and caution. 4 Min read