Donald Trump conveyed to Vladimir Putin during a weekend call that resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict was a priority and that he stands ready to assist in ending it, according to Russian state media.
The roughly hour-long conversation on Sunday was characterized as "friendly and frank" by Yuri Ushakov, an adviser to the Russian president. Trump also used the call to signal that Washington is approaching a peace agreement with Iran amid the broader Middle East tensions involving Israel.
The fighting in Ukraine has raged for over four years since Russia's February 2022 invasion, now outlasting World War I by duration. Diplomatic efforts have stalled in recent months, though Trump's team has publicly signaled urgency about reaching a settlement. A senior Trump official stated last week during G7 meetings that the administration wants the Ukraine war concluded "as quickly as possible."
Putin marked the occasion by offering Trump birthday wishes in an informal manner, Ushakov noted. Trump was preparing to ring in his 80th birthday on Sunday with an unusual celebration: a cage-fighting spectacle on the White House South Lawn. The UFC event, dubbed "UFC Freedom 250," features a 92-foot steel structure some have compared to an ancient colosseum and will host seven bouts. The production carries a reported price tag of $60 million.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump's willingness to broker deals with adversaries is on full display, but whether Putin takes any of this seriously remains the real question."
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