Putin urges diplomacy, sticks to his positions in call with Trump
Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a diplomatic solution to ongoing conflicts in the world and reiterated his known positions during a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump on Thursday.
'He declared the Russian side's willingness to continue the negotiation process (with Ukraine),' Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said after the one-hour conversation. But Russia would not deviate from its goals of eliminating the cause of the conflict, Ushakov added.
Russia launched the war against its neighbour more than three years ago, arguing that Ukraine's accession to NATO would endanger its own national security and that Moscow needed to protect the Russian-speaking minority in the neighbouring country.
In addition, Russia is now laying claim to several areas in eastern and southern Ukraine.
According to Ushakov, the phone call also covered the war in the Middle East as well as Ukraine. He called the conversation constructive and said both leaders were 'on the same page.' They agreed to keep up the dialogue.
It was reported on Tuesday that the US was stopping the delivery of some weapons to Ukraine. The Pentagon has since confirmed this, but did not provide any details. According to US media, it concerns certain missiles and ammunition.
The Defense Department explained that the US was in the process of reviewing its own capabilities - and had also stopped aid to other countries.
Thursday's exchange between the two leaders was the sixth publicly known call between Trump and Putin since the start of Trump's second term.
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