The Kremlin announced this Tuesday that, during a one-hour phone call, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, asked his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to quickly end the war in Ukraine with the aim of restoring diplomatic and commercial relations between the two world powers.
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This was confirmed by Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov, who stated that the two leaders, who have spoken on the phone about ten times since Trump began his second term, discussed the meetings held this weekend by U.S. negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff in Moscow and Kyiv.
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Ushakov said that both leaders viewed these meetings as a “positive sign” and added that Putin gave his opinion to Trump on how the conflict could be ended. As the Kremlin has explained previously and the U.S. president has acknowledged, this would necessarily involve Ukraine ceding territory, something Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has not been willing to do so far. Additionally, Moscow demands the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian soldiers from the eastern Donetsk region, claimed by both countries.
The Kremlin spokesperson stated that Putin made it clear to Trump during the call that he has no plans to attack Europe, despite the increasing detection of threats by the European Union, including the presence of drones and attacks on infrastructure, especially on the continent’s eastern flank.
Speculation about a possible attack against NATO grew last month after the secret visit of CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow became known. Although President Trump downplayed it and said it was just a “semi-routine” trip, this did not stop allies’ doubts about the real reason Washington sent its top intelligence chief to a country at war with its ally Ukraine and at odds with NATO.
Yuri Ushakov, Kremlin spokesperson
“Trump has placed special emphasis on ending the conflict, which would open impressive prospects for the full restoration of relations”
In Tuesday’s call, “Trump placed special emphasis on the need to end the conflict as soon as possible, which would immediately open – impressive and far-reaching – prospects for the full restoration of relations between the U.S. and Russia,” Ushakov concluded. “In his opinion, this would have a particular impact on trade and economic relations and bring enormous benefits to both countries. Trump is interested in achieving a breakthrough during his presidency. Putin supported this approach.”
The call came just as the Russian army ended the three-day truce established by the visit of Trump’s envoys to Moscow. This Tuesday, the Kremlin resumed airstrikes on Kyiv, whose government reported three deaths, while denouncing Russia’s haste to resume its offensive amid peace talks. Meanwhile, Russia reported the death of six civilians in Ukrainian drone attacks.
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The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that its attack on Kyiv was “massive” and that the targets hit were part of Ukraine’s drone and cruise missile production and storage chain. Additionally, Russian missiles and drones struck transportation, logistics, and military cargo distribution centers.
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The mayor of the Ukrainian capital, Vitali Klitschko, said that at least 14 skyscrapers, a student residence, a school, a clinic, warehouses, and other buildings were damaged. In another attack, a drone partially destroyed the building of a Ukrainian TV channel, causing five injuries, confirmed the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to the Ukrainian leader, the Kremlin’s attack targeted critical infrastructure: “It was a complex attack in which Russia tried to cause the greatest possible damage to human lives: ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, and Shahed drones powered by jet engines,” he announced on the social network X.
The pause in attacks on Kyiv, announced by Putin on Saturday, ended at midnight from Monday the 7th to Tuesday the 8th of September. That same Saturday, Putin met with Trump’s son-in-law and close friend, Kushner and Witkoff, special envoys of the president to resolve this and other conflicts worldwide. Zelensky, who received the White House envoys a day later, responded by ordering a similar truce regarding attacks on Moscow.
European representatives also participated in Sunday’s negotiations in Kyiv, including the national security advisors of France, the United Kingdom, and Germany. “At the moment the U.S. president’s peace envoys left, Putin launched another massive and horrific attack on Kyiv. His ballistic missiles speak louder than his words about diplomacy,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sibiha denounced this Tuesday on the social network X. After recalling the two deaths, he called the attack “senseless terrorism.”
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