Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a one-hour phone call. The two presidents held the phone call on Tuesday, 8 September, to discuss the Ukrainian settlement. Both leaders expressed interest in ending the conflict.
The call, described by Putin’s aide Yury Ushakov as “constructive and very candid,” saw the leaders exchange views on recent visits to Moscow and Kiev by US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Trump conveyed that he is “keen to achieve a breakthrough” in resolving the Ukraine conflict during his presidency, while Putin positively assessed US mediation efforts.
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Putin gave Trump an “objective and thorough” analysis of Russia’s military operation, stating that Russia has no aggressive plans toward Europe and that speculations about a “Russian threat” serve as a cover for Europe to increase military spending.
The Russian leader also shared his views on what the US could realistically do to expedite an end to military operations in Ukraine.
Trump emphasised that ending the conflict would “immediately open up impressive and far-reaching prospects for relations between the US and Russia to be fully restored,” according to Ushakov. The US leader also noted that restoring trade ties between Russia and Ukraine promises “enormous benefits for both nations.”
The presidents also discussed humanitarian issues, including the reunification of Russian and Ukrainian children with their families, and agreed to continue working on detainee exchanges.
Tuesday’s call marked the 15th phone conversation between Putin and Trump since the latter took office in early 2025, and the fifth in 2026. Their previous call took place on July 4, when Putin congratulated Trump on America’s 250th anniversary.
TASS
