Trump and Putin hold 90‑minute call on US Independence Day to discuss Ukraine and NATO summit

On July 4, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke for about 90 minutes, marking their fourth conversation this year. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described the call as “business‑like and highly constructive,” noting that Putin began by congratulating Trump on the United States’ 250th Independence Day anniversary.

The leaders discussed the war in Ukraine, with Putin asserting that Russian forces are “advancing confidently” along the entire front line. Trump reaffirmed his “readiness to facilitate the earliest possible cessation of hostilities.” The conversation also covered broader bilateral ties, potential post‑war cooperation, and the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. Ushakov said U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were prepared to travel to Moscow to continue mediation.

Other topics mentioned were the situation in the Middle East, particularly Iran, and Russia’s claim of capturing the town of Kostyantynivka in Donetsk – a claim Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky called a “Russian lie.” Zelensky himself held a separate call with Trump on the same day, describing it as “very good” and stating there is a “real prospect to end this war, and America’s resolve is decisive.”