Putin tells Trump he will not back down from goals in Ukraine, Kremlin says

Russian President Vladimir Putin told US President Donald Trump in a phone call on Thursday that Moscow will not step back from its goals in Ukraine but that it is still interested in a negotiated settlement to the conflict, a Kremlin aide said.

In a wide-ranging conversation, Trump raised the issue of bringing about a swift end to the war, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.

Putin said Russia was ready to keep negotiating but that Moscow remained focused on removing what it calls the “root causes” of the conflict, now well into its fourth year.

Putin also stressed in the call that the Iran conflicts and others in the Middle East should be solved diplomatically.

“From the Russian side, the importance of settling all disputed issues, disagreements and conflictual situations be solved exclusively by politico-diplomatic means was stressed,” Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters after the call.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian source told Reuters Trump may speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday.

On Friday, Trump and Zelenskyy are expected to discuss the abrupt halt in some key US weapons deliveries to Kyiv, with Zelenskyy expected to raise potential future arms sales, the Financial Times earlier reported on Thursday.

The timing of that call could change, the FT added, citing people familiar with the planning.

The White House did not respond to a Reuters’ request for comment on the reported Zelenskyy call.

Zelenskyy said later on Thursday that he hopes to speak with Trump tomorrow or in the coming days about the supply of U.S. weapons to Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters in Denmark, Zelenskyy added that Kyiv was ready to take part in a meeting of leaders to end his country's war with Russia.

The US has paused some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine due to low stockpiles, sources earlier told Reuters.

That decision led to Ukraine calling in the acting US envoy to Kyiv on Wednesday to underline the importance of military aid from Washington continuing, and caution that the move would weaken Ukraine’s ability to defend against intensifying Russian airstrikes and battlefield advances.

The Pentagon’s move led in part to a cut in deliveries of Patriot air defense missiles that Ukraine relies on to destroy fast-moving ballistic missiles, Reuters reported on Wednesday.