Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump held another phone conversation — their fifth since the beginning of the year. According to Yuri Ushakov, aide to the Russian president, the discussion lasted nearly an hour.
During the call, Trump raised the issue of ending hostilities in Ukraine. In response, Putin reiterated Moscow’s readiness for negotiations but emphasized that Russia would not abandon its objectives, which he described as addressing the root causes of the conflict.
Notably, the conversation did not include discussions on halting U.S. arms shipments to Ukraine or the timeline for a new round of peace talks.
The leaders also touched on the situation in Iran and explored the possibility of a cultural exchange involving film productions.
According to Ushakov, both sides expressed interest in cinema that “promotes traditional values shared by Russia and the Trump administration,” as reported by Meduza.
No progress on Ukraine, says Trump
Who ended the call first remains unclear. “The interpreters were the last to hang up,” Ushakov noted with a smile.
Later, President Trump told reproters that the July 3 conversation with Putin yielded no breakthroughs on the Ukraine issue. “I’m not satisfied. […] I made no progress,” he said.
The previous phone call between the two leaders took place on June 14. On that occasion, their dialogue shifted away from Ukraine for the first time, focusing instead on the Iran-Israel conflict.
Moscow reportedly offered to mediate in the Middle East dispute. However, Trump later recounted telling Putin, “Do me a favor — be a mediator in your own country. Let’s deal with Russia first, okay?”
