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The Kremlin said on July 9 that US President Donald Trump, who had planned to call Russian President Vladimir Putin the previous day, did not contact Moscow, apparently because he was busy after his meetings in Ankara. Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that President Putin is 'always glad to talk' and remains open to dialogue.

Coverage comparison

Two reports from TASS — the Russian state news agency — present different accounts of recent Trump-Putin interactions. One report, dated July 9, quotes Peskov as saying that Trump, having announced on July 8 his intention to speak with Putin, ultimately did not make the call. 'Mr. Trump was apparently very busy after all his contacts in Ankara, so no one called yesterday,' Peskov told reporters. He added that 'President Putin is always glad to talk' and that 'President Putin is open to dialogue.'

The other report, dated July 6, describes a phone call between the two leaders that took place ahead of the NATO summit, which was scheduled to begin in Ankara on July 7-8. According to that report, the call was initiated by Trump and was a lengthy one, and the two leaders discussed the Ukraine issue. Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov was cited as saying that Putin told Trump that Moscow is ready to resolve the Ukraine conflict through diplomacy based on Russia's stances.

Notably, the July 6 report refers to the NATO summit taking place in Ankara, while the July 9 report also references the summit in Turkey's Ankara. The reports do not specify the exact date of the call described in the earlier piece, but Ushakov's comments were made in the context of Trump's upcoming participation at the summit.

The two TASS reports do not directly contradict each other — one describes a call that occurred, the other describes a plan for a later call that did not occur. However, the timeline is not fully clear: the July 6 article discusses a call that reportedly took place, while the July 9 article discusses a planned call for July 8 that did not happen. The reports do not explain how these two events relate, nor do they reconcile the fact that the earlier call was described as happening 'ahead of the NATO summit' while the later planned call was to happen during the summit.

Key claims

  • Trump planned to call Putin on July 8 but did not, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who attributed the lapse to Trump's busy schedule after meetings in Ankara.
  • Putin is open to dialogue, Peskov said, adding that the Russian president is 'always glad to talk.'
  • A separate TASS report, citing State Duma member Roza Chemeris, says Trump held a phone call with Putin ahead of the NATO summit, with the call initiated by Trump.
  • Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov was cited as saying that Putin told Trump that Moscow is ready to resolve the Ukraine conflict through diplomacy, and that the two leaders discussed the Ukraine issue ahead of Trump's participation at the NATO summit.