MOSCOW, Russia – U.S. President Donald Trump told Russian President Vladimir Putin that he wants the war in Ukraine to end as soon as possible, according to the Kremlin, as Washington seeks to revive negotiations while fighting continues and major disagreements between Moscow and Kyiv remain unresolved.
Trump and Putin spoke by phone for about an hour on Sept. 8, according to Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov. Their conversation followed weekend meetings by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with Putin in Moscow and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.
Ushakov said Trump linked a swift end to the war with the restoration of U.S.-Russia relations, including expanded trade and economic ties. Putin supported that approach, according to the Kremlin account.
The call produced no announced ceasefire or peace agreement. Instead, it came as Russia and Ukraine resumed major attacks after a temporary pause around the U.S. envoys’ visits.
U.S. envoys seek to restart negotiations
Witkoff and Kushner’s meetings were part of the Trump administration’s latest attempt to reopen a diplomatic process that had stalled.
Zelenskyy said after meeting the envoys in Kyiv that restarting negotiations was important and that Ukraine was prepared to discuss different diplomatic formats. He said the talks covered territorial issues, security guarantees and Ukraine’s economic recovery.
The Ukrainian president said the territorial question remained unresolved and would ultimately require decisions at the leaders’ level. He also stressed that Ukraine’s military strength would remain a central security guarantee.
Zelenskyy said the U.S. envoys had presented ideas that offered a basis for further discussion. He also indicated that Kyiv expected continued coordination with Washington and European partners.
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A possible trilateral format involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States has also been discussed, but no summit has been confirmed.
Trump ties a peace deal to U.S.-Russia relations
According to Ushakov, Trump told Putin that ending the war quickly could open the way to restoring relations between Washington and Moscow.
The Kremlin said Trump sees particular potential in renewed trade and economic cooperation and wants a diplomatic breakthrough during his presidency. Putin, according to Ushakov, supported the approach.
Putin also gave Trump his assessment of the battlefield and discussed what he believed the United States could do to help end the conflict, Ushakov said.
The two leaders agreed to remain in contact and to continue prisoner exchanges. Ushakov described the conversation as constructive and said another call could take place if necessary.
Putin also told Trump that Russia had no hostile intentions toward European countries, according to the Kremlin. The statement came as European governments continued to raise concerns about Russian military and hybrid activities.
Kyiv welcomes diplomacy as attacks resume
The diplomatic contacts were followed by renewed violence.
Russian forces launched a major missile and drone attack on Kyiv after a brief pause during the U.S. envoys’ visit. Ukrainian authorities reported deaths and dozens of injuries, while buildings and civilian infrastructure were damaged across the capital.
The attacks highlighted the difficulty of translating diplomatic contacts into a reduction in fighting.
Ukraine has continued to seek additional air-defense support as it prepares for further Russian attacks. Zelenskyy has also said he expects to discuss military assistance and air-defense needs with Trump later in September.
The resumption of strikes also came as Russian forces continued operations in eastern Ukraine. Reuters reported that Moscow’s military pressure in the Donetsk region was intensifying despite the renewed diplomatic effort.
Russia and Ukraine remain far apart
The latest contacts have revived negotiations but have not resolved the central disputes.
Russia continues to seek its stated military and territorial objectives in Ukraine. Ukraine rejects Russian territorial demands and has insisted that any settlement must include credible security guarantees.
Zelenskyy said the territorial issue remains particularly difficult and that Ukraine’s future security arrangements, economic recovery and military capabilities must be addressed alongside any political settlement.
The Kremlin, meanwhile, has continued to present Russia as capable of achieving its military objectives while signaling an interest in negotiations on terms favorable to Moscow. The competing positions leave little evidence so far of a breakthrough on the core terms of a peace agreement.
Diplomacy resumes without a breakthrough
Trump’s conversation with Putin marks another attempt by Washington to move the war toward negotiations. The administration has now held direct discussions with both Moscow and Kyiv and is seeking a framework that could eventually produce a broader settlement.
But the latest developments show the limits of that diplomatic momentum.
The United States has secured renewed high-level contact, and Ukraine has welcomed the return of negotiations. Russia has also agreed to maintain communication with Washington and continue prisoner exchanges. Yet the war remains active, territorial and security questions remain unresolved, and Russian strikes have continued even as diplomatic contacts resume.
For now, the clearest development is not a peace agreement but the reopening of diplomatic channels. Whether those contacts can produce substantive negotiations will depend on whether Washington can narrow the differences between Moscow and Kyiv while the fighting continues.
Reporting Credit: Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov — Sept. 8 account of the Trump-Putin call, including Trump’s stated desire for a swift end to the war, discussion of restoring U.S.-Russia relations, Putin’s battlefield assessment and continued prisoner exchanges. Office of the President of Ukraine — Sept. 7 account of Zelenskyy’s meeting with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, including discussions of negotiations, territorial issues, security guarantees and Ukraine’s economic recovery. Reuters — reporting on the renewed diplomatic effort, Russian military operations in Donetsk and the resumption of attacks on Kyiv.
