Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call on June 14 in which the two leaders discussed Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and Iran."Another telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir... Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump," Russian state media reported, citing Putin's foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov.The phone call took place on Trump's birthday, as the U.S. president ma
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call on June 14 in which the two leaders discussed Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and Iran.
"Another telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir... Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump," Russian state media reported, citing Putin's foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov.
The phone call took place on Trump's birthday, as the U.S. president marks the occasion with a military parade in Washington.
The two leaders discussed Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East as Israel and Iran continue to exchange aerial attacks.
"The exchange of opinions naturally focused on the dangerous escalation of the situation in the Middle East," Ushakov said.
The phone call between Trump and Putin lasted 50 minutes, he said.
"Russia expressed its readiness to continue negotiations with the Ukrainians, as agreed, after June 22. Donald Trump took note of this information and once again noted his interest in a speedy end to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict," Ushakov said, according to Russian state media.
Trump later confirmed he held a phone call with Putin, saying that the main topic the two leaders covered was Iran.
"President Putin called this morning to very nicely wish me a Happy Birthday, but to more importantly, talk about Iran, a country he knows very well," Trump said in a post to Truth social.
Trump noted that the phone call between the two leaders lasted about one hour, with Putin congratulating Trump on his birthday.
"Much less time was spent talking about Russia/Ukraine, but that will be for next week. He is doing the planned prisoner swaps — large numbers of prisoners are being exchanged, immediately, from both sides," Trump said.
The latest round of prisoner swaps occurred on June 14. Ukraine mainly returned severely wounded and seriously ill soldiers, many of whom were captured during the defense of Mariupol in 2022.
Russia has intensified drone and missile attacks on Ukraine following two rounds of largely inconclusive peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in Turkey on May 16 and June 2.
Israel and Iran continued to exchange attacks on June 14, more than 24 hours after Israel launched its first strikes on Iran's nuclear sites and military leadership.
Trump has said that the U.S. military is on high alert and watching for any kind of retaliation, adding that the U.S. will respond to defend itself or Israel if Iran strikes back.
President Volodymyr Zelensky's office has confirmed plans for a high-stakes meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the upcoming G7 summit on June 17, according to the Kyiv Independent journalist who attended a closed-door briefing with Zelensky on June 13. "Both teams are working to ensure we meet," Zelensky said. The meeting would mark the third in-person encounter between the two leaders during Trump's second term in the White House. Their most recent meeting took place on April 26 at St
President Volodymyr Zelensky's office has confirmed plans for a high-stakes meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the upcoming G7 summit on June 17, according to the Kyiv Independent journalist who attended a closed-door briefing with Zelensky on June 13.
"Both teams are working to ensure we meet," Zelensky said.
The meeting would mark the third in-person encounter between the two leaders during Trump's second term in the White House. Their most recent meeting took place on April 26 at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, where they spoke privately on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral. Both sides described the meeting as productive and constructive, though details remained sparse.
Earlier in February, Zelensky met Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the White House when the infamous tense Oval Office exchange erupted, with Trump criticizing Kyiv's perceived lack of gratitude for U.S. support
Zelensky said his priority is to discuss with Trump sanctions against Russia, peace talks, weapons purchase, and U.S.-Ukraine economic cooperation.
"The United States communicates with the EU on sanctions at the level of senators and congressmen. But I want to raise this issue personally with President Trump," Zelensky said.
"There are steps forward we can take — but we need the political will of the U.S. president, if he wants."
He added that Ukraine has long prepared a "strong" weapons package to purchase from Washington. "Only at the presidential level can we finalize it," Zelensky said ahead of the G7 summit.
Russian offensives in Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk oblasts
Zelensky said that heavy fighting is ongoing along Ukraine's northeastern border. Russian forces have concentrated around 53,000 troops in the Sumy sector, pushing into multiple settlements such as Andriivka, Kindrativka, and Oleksiivka.
According to the open-source monitoring group DeepState, Russian troops have been advancing along the border in Sumy Oblast, with the current front line lying just about 20 kilometers away from the regional capital of Sumy.
According to media reports, Russia exploited a thinning of Ukraine's front-line forces, which were later replaced by newer, under-equipped formations.
Zelensky said that Russia only pushed seven kilometers deep into Sumy, adding that the Russian army "has been stopped there."
Zelensky added that Ukrainian forces had successfully struck Russian positions in the neighboring Russian Kursk Oblast, near Tyotkino, to stall Russian momentum and split their offensive groups.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Zelensky confirmed that small Russian reconnaissance groups had briefly crossed into Ukrainian territory — likely for propaganda purposes. One six-man unit was reportedly eliminated one kilometer from the administrative border.
"For them (Russia), it's an important story, to take a photo, video," Zelensky said. "That's why they are launching small working groups to do just that."
Earlier, the Kremlin has claimed the operations in Dnipropetrovsk are part of an effort to create a so-called "buffer zone." Ukrainian officials have rejected these claims as disinformation.
When speaking about the recent escalation between Israel and Iran in the Middle East, Zelensky said that the subsequent regional tension had driven up oil prices, enhancing Russia's war financing through energy exports.
"This factor clearly doesn't help us," he said, adding that Ukraine will urge Washington to implement stricter price caps on Russian oil at the G7.
He further revealed that U.S. weapons previously allocated to Ukraine, including 20,000 air-defense interceptors used to counter Iranian-designed Shahed drones, were redirected to support Israel ahead of its recent strikes on Iran.
"That was a serious blow... We were counting on these missiles," Zelensky said.
Zelensky warned that Ukraine must not become "a bargaining chip" in larger geopolitical negotiations involving the U.S., Russia, and the Middle East. Russia and Iran have deepened their cooperation since 2022, with Iran supplying weapons and technology to boost Moscow's war machine.
"I was constantly afraid that we could become a bargaining chip, just one factor in the negotiations between the United States and the Russians. So, along with the situation with Iran, the situation with Ukraine was also a factor. They are really dependent on each other," he said.
Zelensky voiced concerns about a slowdown in Western diplomatic momentum, particularly around the "coalition of the willing" initiative led by France and the UK.
Earlier, media reported that the "coalition of the willing," aimed at offering post-ceasefire security guarantees to Ukraine, has faced delays due to the absence of U.S. commitment.
"Europe hasn't yet decided what to do if America steps back," he said. "Their energy depended on U.S. resolve. Without it, things slow down."
Still, Zelensky made clear that Ukraine would not accept any ultimatums from Moscow amid the uncertainty of Western support. He described the latest Russian ceasefire proposals as capitulation.
"They pretend to be ready for talks, but all they offer is an ultimatum," Zelensky said. "We won't go along with that. Not now, not ever."
Zelesnky also expressed optimism that the European Union's 18th sanctions package would pass later this month and said he would personally push for closer U.S.-EU coordination at the G7.
Zelensky confirmed that prisoner exchanges with Russia are continuing and that another round of direct peace talks with Moscow may take place soon after.
"We expect that they (prisoner swaps) can be completed on the 20th or 21st (of June)," he said.
Over the week, Ukraine and Russia held a series of exchanges under an agreement reached during peace talks in Istanbul. Most recently, on June 12, Ukraine brought home another group of severely wounded and seriously ill service members.
The June 12 operation followed a similar swap two days earlier, both conducted without immediate disclosure of the number of released prisoners.
The June exchanges are part of a phased prisoner swap arrangement agreed during the second round of direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul on June 2. While no political breakthroughs emerged from the discussions, both sides agreed to continue exchanging POWs and repatriating the remains of fallen soldiers.
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The Kyiv IndependentYuliia Taradiuk
