Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Trump made the proposal during a nearly 90-minute phone conversation with the Russian president.
Published July 5, 2026
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.
Ushakov said Trump made the suggestion Saturday during a roughly 90-minute phone call to discuss the Ukraine war ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara.
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“The American president reaffirmed his readiness to work towards a quick end to the fighting and find solutions to overcome the crisis,” Ushakov said in comments published on Sunday.
Foreign Minister Ushakov described the meeting as “businesslike and very constructive” and said Russia was seeking “a political-diplomatic solution to the conflict, taking full account of Russia’s fundamental approach.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said he met with President Trump on Saturday.
Ukraine’s president said he had discussed the 1,200-kilometer war front with President Trump.
“There is a realistic prospect of ending this war, and America’s resolve will be significant,” he wrote on Telegram. He said they had agreed to continue talks at next week’s NATO summit.
Leaders from 32 countries, including President Trump, are scheduled to visit Ankara starting Tuesday for a summit on July 7 and 8.
On the front line, little progress has been made by either side in recent months, largely due to the use of drones, which disrupt and damage heavy vehicles.
President Ushakov accused Kiev and its European allies of “expecting an expansion and escalation of the conflict and even terrorism against civilians.”
He was referring to Ukraine’s long-range attacks on Russian targets, mainly related to the oil industry, causing fuel shortages in some regions of Russia.
Ushakov said Putin “depicts the real situation on the battlefield, where Russian troops are confidently advancing and liberating areas one after another.”
Russian military commanders informed President Vladimir Putin on Friday that Russian forces had captured the strategically important city of Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region. On Saturday, President Zelensky and Ukraine’s General Staff rejected the claims, saying Kiev forces remained in control of the city.
Zelensky last month urged Putin to hold one-on-one talks, but the Kremlin leader refused.
Ushakov said Trump told him that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will continue to try to broker a settlement and are willing to visit Moscow again. Ushakov said U.S. diplomatic efforts have come to a near standstill as the United States focuses on the war with Iran.
Putin expressed hope that U.S. diplomacy in the Iran conflict “will make it possible to find mutually acceptable long-term solutions on the main issues of reconciliation,” Ushakov said.
