President Donald Trump said that during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin Wednesday Russia is planning to respond to the drone attack on Russian airfields over the weekend.
According to the Associated Press, in social media post, Trump said the conversation was good, “but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace.”
According to the White House, the U.S. was not informed in advance of the operation — a detail Trump highlighted during his conversation with Putin, according to Putin’s foreign affairs adviser.
During a briefing, Russian foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov stated that both leaders described their conversation as “positive and quite productive.”
“I believe it was useful for Trump to hear our assessments of what happened,” Ushakov said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared on social media that numerous discussions with Russia have taken place at various levels, yet none have secured a lasting peace or even halted the conflict. He added, “Unfortunately, Putin feels impunity.”
Zelenskyy called for increased pressure on Russia, stating that Putin’s planned response signals defiance and “means, that with every new strike, with every delay of diplomacy, Russia is giving the finger to the entire world — to all those who still hesitate to increase pressure on it.”
The conversation marked Trump’s first known discussion with Putin since May 19. According to both Trump and Ushakov, their dialogue also covered Iran’s nuclear program and the potential for Russia to enter negotiations with Tehran.
On Wednesday, Zelenskyy rejected Russia’s ceasefire conditions, calling them “an ultimatum,” and reiterated his push for direct talks with Putin to resolve the deadlock.
However, Putin displayed no willingness to engage with Zelenskyy, instead voicing frustration over what he described as Ukraine’s recent “terrorist acts” targeting rail lines in Russia’s Kursk and Bryansk regions near the border.
“How can any such (summit) meetings be conducted in such circumstances? What shall we talk about?” Putin asked during a video call with Russian officials.
