Putin's 85-minute call to Trump on American Independence Day

Marking the 250th anniversary of American Independence Day, a special telephone conversation was held between Russian President Vladimir Putin and American President Donald Trump. During this discussion, which lasted approximately 90 minutes, or exactly one hour and 25 minutes, the two leaders extensively exchanged views on the Ukrainian war as well as the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Quoting Kremlin diplomatic policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, TASS and Reuters news agencies report that this conversation took place in an extremely practical and highly productive atmosphere.

Ahead of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Heads of State Summit scheduled to be held in Turkey next week, President Trump stated that he hopes to continue interventions to resolve the Ukrainian war. Meanwhile, the American side has also stated that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are preparing to travel to Moscow once again to further advance these peace talks. During this discussion, Putin presented his assessments of the current situation on the Ukrainian battlefield to Trump, and they also recalled the historic alliance between America and the Soviet Union during World War II.

Sending a separate congratulatory message to Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin stated that as the world's largest nuclear powers, Russia and America have a unique responsibility for international security and stability. He also pointed out that an equitable and mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries would contribute to the well-being of the entire international community. Meanwhile, on the day before his discussions with the Russian President, President Trump also connected by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Zelensky confirmed via his X (formerly Twitter) account that the discussion regarding the war was very successful.

Meanwhile, marking his first front-line observation tour in about six months, Russian President Putin visited a forward command post on July 3, dressed in military uniform. Following reports that Russian forces had captured Kostiantynivka, a strategically important stronghold in eastern Ukraine, he stated that in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure, the security buffer zone in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions would be further expanded. Putin, who dismissed Ukraine's recent military gains as "imaginary victories," also criticized Ukrainian leaders, including Zelensky, as a group of "actors." However, Ukraine immediately rejected claims that Kostiantynivka had fallen to Russia, with President Zelensky emphasizing that it was just another false statement by Putin.