Lead
US President Donald Trump has offered to help Russian President Vladimir Putin find a solution to the Ukraine war, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, who said the offer came during a nearly 90-minute telephone call between the two leaders on Saturday.
Ushakov, in comments released on Sunday, said Trump made the offer in the context of his upcoming participation in the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, scheduled for July 7-8. The Kremlin aide described the conversation as "businesslike and quite constructive," adding that Trump "once again confirmed his readiness to work towards a rapid end to the fighting and find solutions to overcome the crisis."
Coverage comparison
The call was reported by multiple outlets, with slight variations in the details provided. Al Jazeera and the Jerusalem Post both reported that Trump offered to help find a solution to the Ukraine war during the nearly 90-minute phone call, with the Jerusalem Post adding that the offer was made in the context of Trump's participation at the NATO summit. The South China Morning Post reported that the two presidents discussed Ukraine and the coming NATO summit, with Trump reaffirming his readiness to facilitate a swift end to hostilities.
TASS, the Russian state news agency, reported that the call was made at the initiative of the American side and that Trump expressed readiness to continue negotiations by dispatching Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the US leader's son-in-law Jared Kushner. TASS also included commentary from Russian analysts suggesting the call demonstrated both sides' preparedness to maintain communication.
Key claims
According to Ushakov, Trump offered to help Putin find a solution to the Ukraine war, and the offer was made during a nearly 90-minute phone call. The call was made ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, which is expected to be attended by heads of state from 32 countries, including Trump.
Ushakov was quoted as saying that Washington's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, would continue their efforts at mediating a settlement and were prepared to make another visit to Moscow. He also said Russia sought "a political-diplomatic resolution of the conflict, with due account of Russia's fundamental approach."
Ushakov accused Kyiv and its European allies of "counting on extending and even escalating the conflict, and on terrorism against civilians," referring to Ukraine's long-range strikes on Russian targets, mainly linked to the oil industry.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he also spoke to Trump on Saturday, and the two discussed the war's 1,200-km (745-mile) front line. "There is a real prospect to end this war and American resolve will have a crucial meaning," Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, adding that they agreed to continue talks at the NATO summit next week.
On the battlefield, Ushakov said Putin "depicted the real situation on the battlefield where the Russian armed forces are confidently advancing, liberating one locality after another." Russian commanders told Putin on Friday that Moscow's troops had captured the strategically important city of Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine, but on Saturday, Zelenskyy and Ukraine's General Staff rejected that claim, saying Kyiv's forces still controlled the city.
In a separate report, TASS mentioned that the US is rejecting dialogue with Russia at the OPCW, and cited analysts warning of risks of large-scale provocations using toxic substances in the zone of the special military operation. These claims were not carried by other outlets in the coverage reviewed.