Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed during their weekend conversation to hold another discussion in the near future. This statement follows a high-ranking U.S. official’s remark that Trump intends to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday during the NATO Summit in Ankara, after which a new dialogue between the U.S. and Russian leaders is likely to occur.
When asked by reporters whether Trump would call Putin following his meeting with Zelensky, Peskov confirmed, “Yes, indeed, both President Putin and President Trump agreed to continue their contacts in the near future.” He emphasized that the U.S. President maintains a “fairly consistent position” regarding the war in Ukraine.
Peskov added that all claims suggesting Trump changes his opinions with the political winds are “false.” He stated, “President Trump has a consistent and confident understanding of what is happening, but, most importantly, he is open to listening to the information conveyed by Putin.”
What Putin Conveyed to Trump
Presidential advisor Yuri Ushakov noted in a briefing that Putin informed his U.S. counterpart that Europe and Kyiv are banking on prolonging and even escalating the war in Ukraine. “Kyiv and its European supporters are counting on the prolongation and escalation of the conflict, as well as terrorist acts against the civilian population,” Ushakov was quoted by TASS, according to News.ro.
Furthermore, Ushakov indicated that Putin told Trump that Ukraine and European administrations operate under a false perception of the situation at the front lines. The dialogue between the two presidents reportedly lasted nearly 90 minutes, according to the Russian side.
