Putin and Zelensky hold separate phone calls with Trump on his birthday
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held separate phone calls with Donald Trump on his 80th birthday. The talks focused on a possible framework to end the war in Ukraine and the agenda of the upcoming G7 summit.
A White House spokesperson said Trump had held separate calls with both Putin and Zelensky through the day, describing each conversation as "constructive". Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the Putin call lasted more than an hour and that a formula for mutual halt of strikes on energy infrastructure was on the table. Zelensky used X to send Trump birthday wishes, saying Kyiv's position had strengthened after Hungary lifted its veto on Ukraine's EU accession.
The calls came as the US-Iran peace deal sat at the top of the global agenda. European diplomats said Trump appeared to be testing whether the easing energy backdrop and broader risk appetite could be carried into a Ukraine framework. Germany and France insisted that any settlement must preserve Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
G7 leaders meet in Évian tomorrow. The White House said Trump was open to multiple bilateral contacts with Putin, Zelensky and other leaders during the summit. Brussels sources said the EU side would push to keep the sanctions framework intact and to maintain military aid to Ukraine.
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