Donald Trump has told Vladimir Putin that ending Russia’s war in Ukraine is vital and that he is prepared to help facilitate a settlement, the Kremlin has confirmed, citing a report by Russia’s TASS news agency. The call, which took place on Sunday, was described as “friendly and frank” by Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov and lasted approximately 55 minutes.
Ukraine: a conflict longer than the First World War
The war in Ukraine, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, has now been running for more than four years, making it the largest conflict in Europe since the Second World War. It has already lasted longer than the First World War, which concluded after 1,566 days. Peace negotiations have been largely stalled for months, but senior US officials — including one who briefed reporters during last week’s G7 summit — have stated that the Trump administration wants the war to end “as quickly as possible”.
During the conversation, Trump reiterated his demand for a halt to hostilities and expressed his readiness to “influence” both Kyiv and Washington’s European partners in order to reach a settlement, according to Ushakov. The US president also suggested that a swift resolution could lead to “a truly new quality of US-Russian relations”. For his part, Putin informed Trump that Ukrainian strikes on civilian infrastructure in Russia would not alter the situation on the battlefield, and reiterated that if President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wished to meet, he should come to Moscow.
Putin also “highly praised” Melania Trump’s role in reuniting Russian and Ukrainian children with their families, an issue that has drawn international attention since the start of the invasion. The two leaders agreed that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would travel to Russia again in the near future, indicating that a backchannel diplomatic track between the two governments remains active.
Zelenskyy himself held a separate call with Trump on the same day and later announced an agreement to meet at the G7 summit.
Iran: a peace deal ‘close’ amid ongoing war
Turning to the Middle East, Trump told Putin that the United States is nearing a peace deal with Iran, according to Ushakov. The US president indicated that an agreement was close to completion and that an announcement could be made soon. This development comes as the US and Israel have been at war with Iran since 28 February 2026, a conflict that escalated in the wake of attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian militants on Israel in October 2023. The war began with US-Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian military and government sites, which resulted in the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes against Israel and US facilities. Hostilities have also led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil supply. Despite the fighting, peace negotiations between the US and Iran were reportedly in their final stages at the time of the Trump-Putin call.
Birthday wishes and a 92‑foot steel cage
During the call, Putin extended informal birthday wishes to Trump, who turned 80 on Sunday. Trump marked the occasion with a large-scale cage match event, “UFC Freedom 250”, held on the White House South Lawn. A 92‑foot steel structure — dubbed “The Claw” by organisers — was erected for the event, which featured seven fighting bouts. Approximately 4,000 spectators were expected to attend, a significant portion of them members of the US military. The event, which cost $60 million, faced criticism for its perceived insensitivity given the ongoing war in Iran and its impact on the cost of living. A legal challenge attempting to block the event on the White House lawn was rejected by a federal judge. Trump, who has close ties with the UFC, described the celebration as “a great way to kick off the 250th anniversary of American independence”.
