Moscow [Russia], July 6: US President Donald Trump has offered to help Russian President Vladimir Putin find a solution to the Ukraine war, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said.
Ushakov said that Trump made the offer during a nearly 90-minute phone call on Saturday to discuss the war in Ukraine ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara.
"The American president once again confirmed his readiness to work towards a rapid end to the fighting and find solutions to overcome the crisis," Ushakov said in comments released on Sunday.
Ushakov, who described the conversation as "businesslike and quite constructive", Russia sought "a political-diplomatic resolution of the conflict, with due account of Russia's fundamental approach". Volodymyr Zelensky said that he also spoke to Trump on Saturday.
The Ukrainian president said he and Trump discussed the war's 1,200-km (745-mile) front line.
"There is a real prospect to end this war and American resolve will have a crucial meaning," he wrote on Telegram. He said they agreed to continue talks at the NATO summit next week. Heads of state from 32 countries, including Trump, are expected in Ankara starting on Tuesday for the summit on July 7 and 8.
On the front lines, both sides have made little progress in recent months, largely due to the use of drones, which hinder heavy vehicles and inflict losses.
Ushakov accused Kiev and its European allies of "counting on extending and even escalating the conflict, and on terrorism against civilians".
He was referring to Ukraine's long-range attacks on Russian targets, mainly linked to the oil industry, which have triggered fuel shortages in several Russian regions.
Ushakov said Putin "depicted the real situation on the battlefield where the Russian armed forces are confidently advancing, liberating one locality after another".
Russian commanders told Putin on Friday that Moscow's troops had captured the strategically important city of Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region.
On Saturday, Zelensky and Ukraine's General Staff dismissed the claim, saying Kiev's forces still controlled the city.
Zelensky urged Putin last month to hold a one-on-one meeting, but the Kremlin leader refused.
Ushakov quoted Trump as saying US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would keep trying to broker a settlement and were prepared to visit Moscow again. US diplomatic efforts have largely stalled as Washington focuses on the war with Iran, Ushakov said.
Putin expressed hope that US diplomacy in the Iran conflict would "allow for mutually acceptable long-term solutions to be found on key issues of a settlement", according to Ushakov.
Source: Qatar Tribune
