Russia ‘will not back down' on Ukraine war goals, Putin tells Trump
'Russia will not back down,' Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters although he added that Putin had also expressed a 'readiness' to 'seek a political and negotiated solution to the conflict' during his one-hour phone conversation with Trump on Thursday.
The phrase 'root causes' is shorthand for the Kremlin's argument that it was compelled to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to prevent the country from joining NATO and being used by the Western alliance as a launchpad to attack Russia – arguments rejected by Kyiv and its allies but supported in part by Trump.
The phone call, their sixth since Trump started his second term in January, came the day after the Pentagon confirmed it was halting some weapons deliveries to Kyiv, including air defence missiles and precision-guided artillery. They were promised under President Joe Biden's administration. The announcement was made as Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine
Trump and Putin did not broach the subject of the paused weapons deliveries, according to the Kremlin aide, who said the US president had raised the issue of bringing about a swift end to the war.
While the prospect of a face-to-face meeting was not discussed, the two leaders agreed to keep talking.
Although Trump has tried to mediate in the Ukraine war, he has little progress to show for it. Putin has thus far rejected Washington's proposal for an unconditional ceasefire, and there was nothing in the Kremlin readout to suggest any shift in his position. Ukraine supported the proposal.
Ushakov said that while Russia was open to continuing to speak with the US, any peace negotiations needed to occur between Moscow and Kyiv.
He made the comment amid some indications that Moscow is trying to avoid a trilateral format for any peace negotiations. Ukrainian officials have said Russian negotiators asked US diplomats to leave the room during a meeting in Istanbul in early June.
Putin and Trump last talked in mid-June when Putin offered to mediate in the recent 12-day Iran-Israel war. Trump responded to Putin's offer by switching the focus back to Ukraine, saying: 'No, I don't need help with Iran. I need help with you.'
Ushakov said that during Thursday's call, Putin emphasised the need to resolve all 'disputes, disagreements and conflict situations' regarding Iran through diplomatic means.
The US waded into the Israel-Iran conflict last month, bombing three of Iran's nuclear sites, a move condemned by Moscow as unprovoked and illegal.
Earlier on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met European Union leaders in Denmark, saying doubts over US military aid to Ukraine reinforced the need to 'strengthen our cooperation and coordination through the EU, NATO and also in our direct relations'.
Trump has in effect nixed Ukraine's attempts to join the NATO military alliance.
Zelenskyy told reporters he hopes to speak to Trump as soon as Friday about the pause in weapons shipments.
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