Russian President Vladimir Putin has assured US President Donald Trump that Moscow holds no aggressive intentions toward Europe. The remarks were made during a one-hour phone call on Tuesday, which the Kremlin described as constructive and "extremely frank."
According to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, the strictly confidential conversation focused on finding a settlement to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. During the call, Putin emphasized that Russia has "absolutely no aggressive plans whatsoever towards Europe," Ushakov told reporters.
The two leaders also discussed the European narratives surrounding a perceived Russian threat. Ushakov claimed these narratives are being utilized to justify continued support for Ukraine and to increase European military spending.
A key topic of discussion was the recent diplomatic mission by US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The envoys met with Putin in Moscow on Saturday before traveling to Kiev for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday. Both Putin and Trump assessed the efforts of the American representatives positively, with Moscow previously describing the Saturday meeting as substantive, constructive, and highly useful, though no specific breakthrough was announced.
During Tuesday's call, Trump highlighted the necessity of reaching an early resolution to the hostilities in Ukraine. He suggested that ending the conflict could pave the way for a broad resumption of relations between the United States and Russia. In response, Putin provided Trump with what Ushakov described as a "realistic assessment" of the situation on the battlefield, and the two discussed potential steps Washington could take to help accelerate an end to the fighting.
Additionally, the presidents agreed to maintain contact and to continue collaborating on humanitarian matters, including the exchange of prisoners.
