Ukraine war briefing: Trump repositions himself as peacemaker in long call with Putin

US president Donald Trump had a 90-minute phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin, ⁠during which the US leader offered to help find ⁠a solution to ​the Ukraine war, a Kremlin aide has said. The aide, Yuri Ushakov, said Trump made the offer during a call with Putin on Saturday ⁠in the context of Trump’s participation next week at a Nato summit in Turkey. “The American president once again confirmed his readiness to ⁠work towards a rapid end to the fighting and find solutions to overcome the crisis,” Ushakov said. Ushakov described the ‌conversation as “business-like and quite constructive” and said ‌Russia sought “a political-diplomatic resolution of the conflict, with due account of Russia’s fundamental approach”.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he also spoke to president Trump. Writing ​on his Telegram account, he described the conversation as “very good”, including a discussion on the war’s 1,200km frontline. “There is a real prospect to end this war and American resolve will have a crucial meaning,” he said. Zelenskyy said he and Trump agreed to continue discussions at the upcoming Nato meeting. But Ushakov accused Kyiv and its European ‌allies of “counting on extending and even escalating the conflict”, referring to Ukraine’s long-range strikes on Russian targets, mainly linked to the oil industry, which have triggered fuel shortages in several Russian regions.

Ukraine has denied Moscow’s claim that Russian forces had captured the strategic Ukrainian city of Kostyantynivka, a stronghold for Kyiv’s troops in the eastern Donetsk region and a key target for the Kremlin. A Ukrainian army spokesperson told AFP the city remained under its control, while Zelenskyy dismissed Moscow’s announcement as “a lie”. He said on social media: “If Kostyantynivka were under Russian control, then perhaps Putin would have no problem meeting me there to find a diplomatic way to finally end this war.” “The situation remains difficult,” Ukrainian army spokesperson Andriy Kovalyov said, but Kostyantynivka “is under the control of the Ukrainian Defence Forces”.

Putin, wearing a military uniform, had thanked troops on Friday for seizing Kostyantynivka, a town with a prewar population of 78,000 that Moscow has been trying to take control over for months. Kovalyov admitted that small groups of Russian troops have been infiltrating the town but insisted that fighting was ongoing. Moscow’s defence ministry, however, said: “Russian troops are in all parts of the town.”

Russia said on Saturday that Ukrainian drones hit an oil terminal in St Petersburg, Putin’s home town, as well as striking a port near Finland and falling on the historical Peterhof complex – a giant estate of gardens and a palace – without causing damage. Moscow vowed to respond, saying it downed almost 500 Ukrainian drones and 10 of Kyiv’s Flamingo missiles overnight. St Petersburg governor Alexander Beglov said: “Air defence forces shot down 72 drones, one of which crashed in Peterhof. There were no casualties or damage.” The Ukrainian attack came after a Russian strike on Kyiv this week killed 30 people, amid other strikes.

Zelenskyy also claimed Kyiv struck the Kronstadt naval base in St Petersburg. Ukraine has been increasing strikes on Russian territory – hitting as far as the Urals far away from the frontline – in recent months, in retaliation for Moscow’s dragging offensive.

Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defence had shot down 62 drones headed for the Russian capital. Moscow said one person was killed in the border Bryansk region and another in Russian-annexed Crimea. Authorities in the border Belgorod region said “infrastructure facilities” had been damaged by the attacks, leading to “disruptions to electricity and water supply”.