Trump says no progress made on Ukraine war during phone call with Putin — “Prolonged war is not a happy situation”

Trump says no progress made on Ukraine war during phone call with Putin — “Prolonged war is not a happy situation”

Washington, July 4, 2025 —
President Donald Trump said Thursday that his phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin did not yield any progress toward ending the war in Ukraine. “I didn’t make any progress with him at all,” Trump told reporters, adding that he is “not happy” the war is dragging on.

The conversation lasted about an hour on Thursday morning — marking the sixth known phone call between the two leaders since Trump returned to office in January. Both sides reported that a wide range of issues were discussed, including Iran.

Russia's top foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, said in a briefing released by Russian state media that Moscow emphasized resolving disputes over Iran and its nuclear program solely through diplomatic means.

Notably, President Trump ordered airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites on June 21, in support of the Israeli bombing campaign that began on June 13.

On the Ukraine issue, Putin held firm to Russia’s position, once again stressing the need to resolve the “root causes” of the conflict as part of achieving Russia’s war goals.

That phrasing typically signals Moscow’s core demands: Ukraine relinquishing territory, adopting a neutral status, agreeing not to join NATO or other military alliances, and accepting restrictions on its military capacity.

“Russia will not retreat from those goals,” Ushakov stated.

He added, “Donald Trump again raised the issue of ending the war quickly. Putin responded that we are still trying to find a politically negotiated solution.”

Early Friday morning, Trump said after returning from a trip to Iowa that he would speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later that day.

Significantly, this week the Trump administration paused some deliveries of U.S. military aid to Ukraine — especially air defense interceptors that are crucial in countering Russia’s invasion.

The Kremlin stated that the weapons pause was not discussed during the call. Trump also did not directly address the matter but defended his decision to suspend the aid, saying, “President Biden emptied out our whole country giving them weapons, and we have to make sure we have enough for ourselves.”

Putin informed Trump that some humanitarian progress had been made between Russia and Ukraine since the last round of talks in Istanbul — including exchanges of prisoners and the bodies of fallen soldiers. While Moscow remains open to further talks, a date for the next round has not yet been set, Ushakov said.

During the call, the two leaders also expressed mutual interest in continuing economic cooperation between Russia and the United States, particularly in the energy sector and space exploration.

Putin added that prior to the call, he met with Russian business leaders who expressed interest in co-producing films with the U.S. that promote “traditional values close to us and the Trump administration.” According to Ushakov, President Trump responded positively to the idea.