Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by phone on Thursday in what marked their sixth call in the past five months, amid signs that Washington may be stepping back from its military support for Ukraine.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the call focused on the implementation of recent agreements reached between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul. During the conversation, Trump reportedly urged Putin to end the war “as soon as possible,” while Putin reaffirmed his position that any diplomatic solution must address the "root causes" of the conflict.
Moscow often uses the term "root causes" to refer to its longstanding security concerns and political demands outlined by Putin in June of last year, including Ukraine's neutral status and recognition of Russian sovereignty over certain territories.
Peskov added that a summit between the two leaders was not discussed during the call—despite Trump having repeatedly expressed interest in meeting Putin face-to-face. In May, Trump claimed that the war could be ended within 24 hours if the two leaders met.
The call only lasted an hour, which is much shorter than the previous 90 minute and 2-hour long phone calls Trump had with Putin the previous times he spoke with him since February.
The latest call comes just two days after French President Emmanuel Macron held his first phone conversation with Putin in nearly three years. During that exchange, Putin reiterated that the West was to blame for the war in Ukraine, echoing long-standing Kremlin narratives.
While Trump has previously threatened Moscow with tougher sanctions and pledged a quick end to the war, recent U.S. actions suggest a shift in strategy. On Tuesday, the Biden administration suspended shipments of key weapons to Ukraine, including Patriot PAC-3 air defense missiles, guided artillery rounds, and air-to-air missiles used by Western-supplied F-16s.
Pentagon officials cited depleted stockpiles and growing security commitments in the Middle East and the Pacific as reasons for the pause. The unexpected move has left Ukrainian officials scrambling and further fueled speculation that Washington may be preparing to hand off responsibility for Ukraine’s defense to European allies.