The White House is yet to comment on the call, but Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov already gave a statement to Russian propaganda agency Interfax.
During the call, Trump once again pressed for a quick end to the Russo–Ukrainian war, according to Ushakov.
In response to Trump’s remarks, Putin told him that Russia would not abandon its “goals” of addressing the “root causes” of the war—Moscow’s traditional formulation of effectively demanding Ukraine’s capitulation. No progress was made on arranging an in-person Trump–Putin meeting, either.
Ushakov said that the negotiations in Istanbul will remain a bilateral affair between Russia and Ukraine and that specific dates for a third round of talks in Istanbul “were not discussed.”
According to the report, Trump and Putin did not talk about the Pentagon’s abrupt halt to military aid deliveries to Ukraine.
The Kremlin also claimed that the two leaders discussed the possibility of exchanging films that promote “traditional values” shared by Russia and the current U.S. administration. The parties additionally talked about the situation in Iran and the Middle East, in general.
The last conversation between Putin and Trump was on June 14, when, according to the White House, Putin called to wish Trump a happy birthday.