Trump Says Call with Putin Yields No Progress on Ukraine Cease-Fire

The apparent impasse came during a roughly hourlong conversation between the leaders on Thursday morning.

President Trump said on Thursday that a phone call with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia had not resulted in any movement toward ending the war in Ukraine, adding that he was “not happy” with the conflict grinding on.

“I didn’t make any progress with him at all,” Mr. Trump told reporters.

The apparent impasse came during a roughly hourlong conversation between the leaders on Thursday morning — the sixth known call between the two since Mr. Trump returned to office in January — that both sides said covered a wide range of issues, including Iran.

Russia underscored the need to resolve contentious matters regarding Iran and its nuclear program exclusively through diplomatic means, the Kremlin’s top foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters, according to a briefing released by Russian state news. Mr. Trump ordered the June 21 bombing of Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites in support of the Israeli bombing campaign that began on June 13.

U.S. and Russian leaders agreed to continue contacts between their foreign ministries, defense ministries and presidential aides on the matter, Mr. Ushakov said.

On Ukraine, Mr. Putin appeared to reiterate his unyielding position on negotiations, which has led many Western officials to question whether he is serious about peace talks. According to Mr. Ushakov, Mr. Putin told Mr. Trump that Russia would continue to press ahead to achieve its war aims and resolve the “root causes” of the conflict.

That phrase is often read as Kremlin shorthand for Moscow’s demands that Ukraine cede territory, embrace neutrality, be excluded from joining NATO or other military alliances and be subjected to limits on its military.

“Russia will not retreat from those goals,” Mr. Ushakov said, without describing them.

“Donald Trump again raised the question of the quick end to the military action,” Mr. Ushakov said. “Vladimir Putin, for his part, answered that we are continuing to try to search for a politically negotiated solution to the conflict.”

Mr. Trump said early Friday morning, after returning from a trip to Iowa, that he would speak with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine later in the day.

Ukraine is reeling from a Trump administration decision announced this week to pause some deliveries of U.S. weapons, including air defense interceptors, that are vital to fending off the Russian invasion that began in 2022. The Kremlin said the suspension was not discussed during the call, according to Russian state media.

Mr. Trump did not address whether he had discussed the issue on the call on Thursday, but defended his decision to withhold the weapons. President Biden Joseph R. Biden Jr. “emptied out our whole country giving them weapons, and we have to make sure that we have enough for ourselves,” he said.

Mr. Putin informed Mr. Trump of the progress on humanitarian matters that Russia and Ukraine had made after the last round of talks in Istanbul, Mr. Ushakov said. That included exchanges of prisoners and the bodies of killed soldiers. The Russian leader added that Moscow stood ready to continue the talks, though a date for the next round has not been set, Mr. Ushakov said.

During the call, Mr. Putin and Mr. Trump confirmed their mutual interest in realizing a number of economic projects between Russia and the United States, including in the energy sector and space exploration, Mr. Ushakov said.

Before his discussion with Mr. Trump, Mr. Putin talked with Russian business executives, who articulated a desire to cooperate with the United States on film production to promote “traditional values close to us and the Trump administration,” Mr. Ushakov said. The U.S. president said he liked the idea, the Kremlin aide added.

“The conversation between the presidents, as always, was on the same wavelength, was frank, businesslike and specific,” Mr. Ushakov said. “The presidents, naturally, will continue their communication in the near future.”

Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

• Russian General Convicted: A top Russian general was convicted of embezzlement and jailed, state news media reported, in one of the highest-profile cases from a monthslong Kremlin campaign to root out military corruption amid the war in Ukraine.
• Weapons Transfers Halted: The Trump administration said it had paused the delivery of some weapons to Ukraine, citing Pentagon concerns that stocks were dwindling. The pause deepened Ukrainian concerns amid Russian attacks.
• McDonald’s in Ukraine: The American fast-food giant plans to open about 10 new restaurants in Ukraine in 2025, a testament to the country’s rebounding economy and its enduring love of Big Macs.
• The Weapon Ukrainians Fear at Night: Russia’s long-range drone program has brought about a deadly new phase in the war.
• American Killed in Russian Attack: Fred Grandy went to Kyiv as a volunteer because he was upset by the United States’ reversal in its support for Ukraine, his family said. He was among 28 people killed in a drone and missile assault.
• Resettled Ukrainians: The Trump administration suspended a temporary humanitarian program for Ukrainians. Now many are losing their ability to work, and fear deportation.

How We Verify Our Reporting

• Our team of visual journalists analyzes satellite images, photographs, videos and radio transmissions to independently confirm troop movements and other details.
• We monitor and authenticate reports on social media, corroborating these with eyewitness accounts and interviews. Read more about our reporting efforts.