Trump Sees No ‘Progress' in Putin Call on Ending Ukraine War
'We had a call, it was a pretty long call. We talked about a lot of things including Iran. We also talked about, as you know, the war with Ukraine, and I'm not happy about that,' Trump told reporters Thursday evening.
'No, I didn't make any progress,' he said when asked about their talks.
This was the sixth publicly acknowledged call between the two leaders since Trump returned to the White House in January.
The Kremlin earlier Thursday also indicated there had been little progress on ending the war — a key foreign policy aim of the US president — during the discussions.
'Donald Trump once again raised the question of an early cessation of hostilities,' Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters after the call, which lasted almost one hour. Putin said Russia 'will not back down' from its war aims, Ushakov added.
He described the conversation as 'frank, businesslike and concrete,' adding that the leaders agreed to continue their discussions soon. Putin and Trump talked about Iran and the situation in the Middle East 'in considerable detail,' Ushakov added.
There was no discussion of a meeting between the two leaders, and they didn't touch on the US decision to halt weapons supplies to Ukraine, he said.
Trump and Putin spoke after the Pentagon announced this week it was pausing the transfer of artillery rounds and air defenses to Ukraine, citing a review of US stockpiles as it weighs the need to save weapons for other threats. That's as Russia has intensified its missile and drone attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks.
Trump is likely to hold a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The US president campaigned on ending the war in Ukraine quickly, citing his relationship with Putin, but has also threatened to walk away if the two sides can't agree to terms. Trump voiced his frustration at the pace of progress last month, saying it might be necessary to let Ukraine and Russia 'fight for a little while' before trying to broker a peace deal.
While Trump has squeezed weapons supplies to Ukraine, he hasn't imposed any more sanctions on Russia. That's despite appeals from Zelenskiy and European leaders to ramp up pressure on Putin.
Putin agreed in talks this week with French President Emmanuel Macron to coordinate their approach on Iran, the first phone call between the two leaders since 2022. Iran is said to be cutting off communication with key United Nations atomic watchdog officials, deepening uncertainty over the status of its nuclear program.
Macron wants to coordinate with permanent members of the UN Security Council on pressing Iran to accept the return of International Atomic Energy Agency inspections, Bloomberg reported this week.
The US, Russia, China, France and the UK are permanent members of the Security Council.
With assistance from Stephanie Lai and Ben Holland.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
Iran To Attack U.S. Bases In Saudi Arabia? MBS In Action, Deploys THAAD Air Defence System
Iran To Attack U.S. Bases In Saudi Arabia? MBS In Action, Deploys THAAD Air Defence System | Watch Source: Saudi Arabia has officially activated its first Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in Jeddah after successful testing and training. This move aims to bolster Riyadh's defensive capabilities. The inauguration comes weeks after Iran struck a U.S. airbase in Qatar on June 23, following a U.S. bombing of three Iranian nuclear facilities on June 22. Both strikes occurred amidst a 12-day war between Israel and Iran. The THAAD system, operating on a "hit-to-kill" method, can detect missiles over 2,000 km away. Saudi Arabia reportedly bought the THAAD battery for $15 billion during Trump's first term, with plans for six more. The Trump administration also approved $3.5 billion in weapons sales to Riyadh in June and precision-guided weapon sales in March.
Hindustan Times
37 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
France and Britain hope migrant 'taxi boat' plan will slow record Channel crossings
* France and Britain hope migrant 'taxi boat' plan will slow record Channel crossings French police may be allowed to intercept boats off shore * Record numbers of migrants have crossed the Channel this year * Migrants determined to cross despite tougher measures By Gabriel Stargardter PARIS, - Early one morning this week, a dinghy motored along a vast beach in northern France, stopping every few hundred metres to pick up migrants bound for Britain. Four French police gave chase, but failed to reach the migrants before they reached water's edge. Soon, with 70-odd people onboard, the dinghy began chugging across the sea, adding to a record-breaking number of migrants crossing the Channel this year. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's right-wing opponents have seized on the data, reminding him he had pledged to "smash" the trafficking gangs. France and Britain hope to unveil measures at their summit next week that will reportedly allow French police to intercept such 'taxi boats' - a new phenomenon - up to 300 metres from shore rather than only if lives are at risk as now. Police, activists and migrants interviewed by Reuters were sceptical such a plan would work. "I just don't see how this could ever be implemented," said Julien Soir, a police union representative in the northern city of Lille. "Getting it up and running is simply impossible." He said police were already stretched covering 180 km of coastline and lack the equipment and training needed for seaborne operations. Police also fear drowning if they fall in the water with heavy equipment, or personal legal liability if migrants die or are injured during an intervention. Angele Vettorello, a coordinator at the Utopia 56 charity in Calais, said numbers were rising despite more French police patrolling beaches, including with British-sponsored drones. She said the proposed measures would only make a dangerous crossing - last year 73 migrants died navigating what is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes - more perilous. If implemented, it would "lead to even more deaths ... more distress," she said. RIGHT-WING RISE The influx of migrants has helped Nigel Farage's Reform UK overtake Starmer's Labour Party in polls. Farage, a right-wing populist and longtime immigration hard-liner, has proposed using the Navy to intercept migrant vessels and take them back to France. Lawyers say this could only be done if France agreed. Nearly 20,000 asylum seekers have arrived in Britain via small boats so far this year, a 50% increase compared to the same period in 2024. French and British authorities blame the spike on unusually good weather. Peter Walsh, from Oxford University's Migration Observatory, said maritime interception may stop more migrants but would not affect long-term trends behind the migrant surge, including multiple conflicts and the allure of English-speaking Britain. Britain also wants to negotiate a returns agreement with France, which it had before it left the European Union. At a filthy migrant camp near Dunkirk, Reuters spoke with several migrants who were unaware of the new proposal. They said it wouldn't stop them from trying to cross. Israrullah Lodin, 26, left Afghanistan in 2021 after his family's work with the U.S. army irked the Taliban. He had failed to cross three times; twice he was stopped by police and once his boat had problems. Lodin dreamed of working in a UK fulfilment warehouse. Nothing would stop him from getting there. "We are not afraid to die," he said. "I have to reach my destination." Nisarahmad Afghan, 23, had been a migrant almost all his adult life, having left his home region of Nangarhar four years ago. He had made two failed attempts to cross, both foiled by police. "Until I succeed, I will keep trying," he said. "I've passed through many dangerous roads. I will pass this one too." This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
37 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Sensex, Nifty fall on profit booking; defence, capital market stocks shine
Stock markets in India took a volatile turn on Friday, July 4, as investors exhibited cautious move ahead of US President Donald Trump's looming tariff deadline next week. Benchmark equity indices, Sensex and Nifty, witnessed a downward movement after trading in the consolidation zone. At 11:45 am, BSE Sensex was trading at 83,061.50, down by 185 points or 0.22 per cent. Whereas, the 50-scrip index, Nifty, was down by around 66 points or 0.27 per cent, trading at 25,343.40. Broader markets followed suit as consolidated movement kept any prospective momentum in check. The Nifty Midcap 100 was trading at 59,474, up 0.35 per cent. Meanwhile, Nifty Smallcap also experienced a marginal decline of 0.2 per cent, trading at 18,974. From the Sensex Pack, Bajaj twins, Hindustan Unilever. Eternal (Zomato), Infosys and BEL were among the top gainers. Whereas, Trent, Tata Steel, Tech Mahindra, Mahindra and Mahindra, and Maruti Suzuki were among the top laggards. On the sectoral front, Nifty Auto was among the worst-performing indices, trading at 23,874, down by around 0.54 per cent. Nifty metals also fell sharply by 0.87 per cent and were trading at 9,539. Defence and Pharma were among the top-performing sectors. The Nifty Pharma index was trading at 22,339, up by 0.61 per cent. On the global front, Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' was passed in the House of Representatives. The bill will make the US president's 2017 tax cuts permanent and slash funding for green projects. Defence, capital market stocks in focus Defence Stock witnessed a sharp surge on Friday, even as the broader market mood remained flat. The Nifty India Defence index saw a rise of 1.4 per cent, trading above 8,980 and just a few inches away from its all-time high level. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and Bharat Electronics Ltd were among the lead gainers in the index. Shares of Bharat Dynamics Ltd and shipbuilder, Mazagon Dock, witnessed a surge of 1.26 per cent and 1.75 per cent, respectively. The uptrend in stock price came after the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) announced the approval of 10 capital acquisition proposals worth ₹1.05 Lakh crore. "Key approvals include Armoured Recovery Vehicles, Electronic Warfare Systems, SAMs, Integrated Inventory Systems, Naval Mines, Mine Counter Measure Vessels, and Submersible Autonomous Vessels. These will enhance mobility, air defence, logistics efficiency, and maritime security," the Ministry of Defence mentioned in a social media post. Meanwhile, capital market stocks, including BSE, Angel One and Motilal Oswal Financial Services witnessed a major drop on D-street after the market watchdog, Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), banned Jane Street Group and its associated entities from Indian markets. All eyes on earnings With markets trading in the consolidation zone, analysts believe that the upcoming earnings season will provide directional cues for the coming weeks. "The cap to the upside of the range is put by the tepid earnings growth and expectations of modest earnings growth in FY26. Investors should watch for possible changes in the earnings growth trajectory, the indications of which will be available in the Q1 results, which will start coming soon," said VK Vijayakumar, chief investment strategist at Geojit Investments.
