Russian President, Vladimir Putin, spoke by phone yesterday, Saturday, with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the United States, the Kremlin announced early this morning, noting that the two leaders primarily discussed the situation in Ukraine ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara.

“The presidents naturally raised the issue of a settlement in Ukraine, particularly in light of Donald Trump’s upcoming participation in the NATO summit in Turkey on July 7 and 8,” said Yuri Ushakov, the Russian presidential adviser on foreign affairs, as reported by the RIA news agency.

According to him, during their conversation, which lasted one hour and 25 minutes, the two leaders also discussed other international issues, such as Iran and the Middle East.

Earlier yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he had also spoken by phone with Donald Trump.

“Of course, President Trump and I discussed the current situation on the front lines and our diplomatic efforts. There is a real prospect that this war will come to an end, and America’s resolve is crucial,” the Ukrainian President said via X. “We agreed to continue these talks during the NATO summit in Ankara,” he added.

Heads of state and government and delegations from 32 countries, including Donald Trump, are expected to arrive in the Turkish capital on Tuesday for this summit.

Mr. Putin “spoke about the actual situation on the battlefield (in Ukraine), where the Russian armed forces are advancing confidently,” said Kremlin diplomatic adviser Yuri Ushakov.

Moscow announced last Friday that it had captured the Ukrainian city of Konstantinovka, a stronghold of Kyiv’s forces in the eastern Donetsk region, full control of which is one of the Kremlin’s primary objectives. The Russian announcement was denied by Kyiv, which asserted that its troops control the city and that fighting continues.

On the front lines, Russian armed forces have been advancing at a very slow pace in recent months, as ubiquitous unmanned aerial systems make it nearly impossible for vehicles—especially heavy ones—to move, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides.

On the diplomatic front, negotiations remain at an impasse. Moscow demands the withdrawal of Ukrainian armed forces, particularly from Donetsk and the other regions it has announced it has annexed, even though it does not fully control them. Kyiv refuses.

Meanwhile, one person was killed on the Russian-controlled Crimean Peninsula during a Ukrainian attack, according to an announcement early this morning by Sergei Aksyonov, the head of the local authorities appointed by Moscow.

The attack, which injured two other people—one of whom is in serious condition—took place in the northern part of the peninsula, Mr. Aksyonov clarified.

Crimea, which has been annexed by Russia since 2014, declared a “state of emergency” in late June due to the consequences of Ukrainian strikes, particularly fuel shortages and power outages.

For weeks, the Ukrainian armed forces have been attempting to impose an energy blockade on Crimea by targeting infrastructure and tankers supplying the peninsula.

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Source: KYPE