Putin, Zelensky hold separate calls with Trump on his birthday

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky each held separate phone conversations with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday, as Trump marked his 80th birthday and the war in Ukraine remained a key issue ahead of this week’s G7 summit.

Putin’s call with Trump lasted under an hour, according to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, who briefed reporters. During the call, Trump emphasized the need to end hostilities and expressed readiness to influence European allies and Kyiv toward that goal, including at the upcoming G7 summit. Trump also stated that recent strikes on civilian targets in Russia complicate a settlement—though the White House has not confirmed this nor commented on the call—and said ending the war quickly could open the door to “a truly new quality of US–Russian relations,” as quoted by Ushakov.

Putin, for his part, argued that Kyiv’s attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure would not change Ukraine’s position on the battlefield and said if Zelensky wants a meeting with him, “let him come to Moscow,” per Ushakov. Ushakov also said U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to travel to Russia soon. The leaders also discussed Iran, with Trump saying a U.S. agreement with Tehran is close and that he hopes the results of the talks could be made public today.

Zelensky said in a Telegram statement Sunday that he had a “wonderful conversation” with Trump. Beyond birthday congratulations, he thanked the U.S. president for supporting Ukraine and said they discussed “what could help bring peace closer now,” without providing details. Zelensky also informed Trump about improvements in Ukraine’s position along the eastern front line. They agreed to discuss further during the G7 summit.

The diplomatic exchanges occurred against a backdrop of continued fighting. Ukrainian drone attacks killed one person and wounded nine overnight in a residential building in Oryol, Russia, with another drone attack killing one in Bryansk. A separate drone strike hit fuel storage facilities in Russia’s Yaroslavl region, sparking fires. Zelensky said the strike 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.