Ahead of NATO Summit in Ankara, Donald Trump Calls Putin and Zelensky to Discuss Peace
United States President Donald Trump undertook intensive diplomatic steps by contacting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by telephone on Saturday (4/7). The communication focused on efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine ahead of the NATO Summit to be held in Ankara, Turkey. According to information from the Kremlin and President Zelensky, the series of telephone conversations also coincided with the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed that the Ukraine issue was a priority agenda in the conversation between Trump and Putin. “The presidents discussed the issue of a settlement in Ukraine, particularly considering Donald Trump’s upcoming participation in the NATO Summit in Turkey on 7 and 8 July,” Ushakov said, as reported by the RIA Novosti news agency on Sunday (5/7). In the approximately 85-minute conversation, the two leaders also touched on various other global issues, including developments in Iran and security stability in the Middle East region.
On the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated he had spoken directly with Trump about the dynamics of the war, which has entered its fourth year. Zelensky gave a positive assessment of the outcome of the communication. “President Trump and I discussed the current situation on the front lines and the diplomatic efforts we are undertaking. There is a real opportunity to end this war, and the determination of the United States is a very decisive factor. We agreed to continue this discussion at the NATO Summit in Ankara,” Zelensky wrote via his official account on platform X.
In the Kremlin’s report, Putin explained the current conditions on the ground to Trump, claiming that Russian forces continue to advance. However, data from the field indicates the pace of the Russian offensive has been limited in recent months due to the massive use of drones by both sides, which hinders the movement of heavy combat vehicles. On the diplomatic front, a deadlock persists. Moscow maintains its demand that Ukraine withdraw all troops from the Donetsk region as a condition for peace, a demand firmly rejected by Kyiv, meaning no significant breakthrough towards a ceasefire has been reached. The NATO Summit in Ankara will be attended by delegates from 32 member countries. Donald Trump is scheduled to arrive in the Turkish capital on Tuesday to participate in the high-level meetings, which are hoped to provide a breakthrough for peace in Eastern Europe.