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By Gabe Whisnant
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President Donald Trump revealed the details of his conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday.
Trump told reporters before he boarded Air Force One for an "America 250" rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, "We had a call, it was a pretty long call, we talked about a lot of things, including Iran. We also talked about the war with Ukraine."
Trump shook his head and said, "I'm not happy about that," as the president remarked about the ongoing war he hoped to quickly end.
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"No, I didn't make any progress with him today," Trump said when asked about a potential deal with Putin to end the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
Putin and Trump talk Ukraine, Iran and other issues, Kremlin says
During Thursday's call, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed the importance of resolving issues with Iran through political and diplomatic means, according to his foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov.
On the topic of Ukraine, Ushakov said President Trump reiterated his desire for a swift end to the fighting, while Putin expressed Moscow's willingness to engage in negotiations. However, Putin also made clear that Russia remains committed to achieving its objectives in Ukraine and addressing what he described as the "root causes" of the conflict.
Putin has claimed that he launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 to counter what he called a security threat from Ukraine's aspirations to join NATO and to defend Russian-speaking communities—justifications that Kyiv and its Western allies firmly reject. He has maintained that any future peace agreement must include Ukraine renouncing its NATO ambitions and acknowledging Russia's territorial gains.
"Russia will not back down from these goals," Ushakov told reporters after the call.
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Trump and Putin's Call History
The call marked the sixth publicly acknowledged conversation between the two leaders since Trump returned to office earlier this year.
Their last confirmed call took place on June 14, just one day after Israel launched an attack on Iran. The renewed contact between Trump and Putin appears to reflect a mutual interest in restoring U.S.-Russia relations, which have sharply deteriorated during the ongoing war in Ukraine — now entering its fourth year.
The Trump-Putin conversation comes just two days after Russian President Putin held his first direct phone call in nearly three years with French President Emmanuel Macron.
U.S. and Russian Leader Talk After Major Pentagon Announcement
Thursday's call also follows the Pentagon's announcement that it is temporarily halting shipments of certain weapons to Ukraine. The pause, part of a global reassessment of U.S. military stockpiles, affects deliveries of air defense systems, precision-guided artillery, and other critical equipment. A U.S. official and a former national security official, both speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the types of weapons being withheld, as the Defense Department has not yet disclosed specifics.
In his first public comments on the pause in shipments, Trump told reporters Thursday that the U.S. continues to aid Ukraine, "We haven't — we're giving weapons, but we've given so many weapons, but we are giving weapons and we're working with them and trying to help them, but ... Biden emptied out our whole country giving them weapons and we have to make sure that we have enough for ourselves."
Ushakov said the recent pause in U.S. military assistance to Ukraine was not discussed during the Trump-Putin conversation.
Russia's Summer Offensive Against Ukraine
Russia has intensified its military offensive in Ukraine, making significant territorial gains, particularly in the eastern Donetsk region and the northeastern Sumy Oblast. Russian forces have captured key towns such as Kostiantynivka in Sumy, bringing them within artillery range of the city of Sumy itself. In Donetsk, heavy fighting continues around Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka, with Russian troops aiming to disrupt Ukrainian supply lines and advance toward the Dnipropetrovsk region.
These advances have been facilitated by Russia's deployment of approximately 50,000 troops near Sumy and the use of small assault groups, drones, and light vehicles to exploit gaps in Ukrainian defenses.
Speaking Thursday in Denmark after meetings with key European Union allies, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he may speak with President Trump in the coming days regarding the weapons' suspension.
"I hope that maybe tomorrow, or close days, these days, I will speak about it with President Trump," he said.
Russia, Ukraine Casualties Continue to Climb
Estimates indicate that Russia has suffered approximately 950,000 to 1,000,000 military casualties since the invasion began in February 2022. This includes around 250,000 soldiers killed.
Ukraine has endured substantial losses as well. By early 2025, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that over 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed, with nearly 390,000 wounded.
The civilian toll has also been devastating. The United Nations confirmed that, as of April 2025, at least 13,134 Ukrainian civilians had been killed and 31,867 injured. Recent UN reports highlight a 50 percent surge in civilian casualties during the first half of 2025, largely due to intensified Russian missile and drone attacks on populated areas.
The conflict is the largest and deadliest in Europe since World War II.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
Update: 7/3/25, 6:57 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Update: 7/3/25, 7:05 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Update: 7/3/25, 7:40 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information.
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