U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned he was "very dissatisfied" with Russian President Vladimir Putin following a cellphone name on July 3, throughout which the 2 leaders mentioned the continued conflict in Ukraine.
Trump informed reporters he "didn't make any progress" and accused Putin of exhibiting no willingness to cease the preventing.
Trump additionally mentioned that he’s planning to speak to President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 4.
"I'm talking to President Zelensky tomorrow within the early morning, and I'm very dissatisfied with the dialog I had as we speak with President Putin," Trump informed journalists. "As a result of I don't assume he's there. And I'm very dissatisfied. I don't assume he's seeking to cease this preventing."
The hour-long dialog between Trump and Putin marked the sixth time the 2 leaders have spoken since Trump took workplace in January. In line with Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, Putin reiterated that "Russia will proceed to pursue its targets," refusing to again down from what the Kremlin calls the "root causes” of the battle.
The White Home didn’t difficulty a readout of the decision. Trump offered few further particulars, solely saying the dialogue coated "a whole lot of issues" and confirming no progress had been made on securing a ceasefire.
The decision got here simply hours earlier than one of many largest Russian aerial assaults on Ukraine in current months. In line with Zelensky, air raid sirens started sounding throughout Ukraine nearly concurrently with media stories concerning the Trump-Putin name.
"Russia is as soon as once more demonstrating that it’s not going to finish the conflict and terror," Zelensky mentioned. "The primary air raids in our cities and areas started yesterday, nearly concurrently with the beginning of media discussions of President Trump's cellphone name with Putin."
In a single day on July 4, Russian forces launched greater than 550 aerial weapons, together with over 330 Iranian-type Shahed drones and a number of forms of missiles, throughout Ukraine, with Kyiv as the principle goal. No less than 23 folks had been injured within the capital, the place fires broke out in a number of districts and air air pollution reached harmful ranges.
Zelensky renewed requires elevated army help from Ukraine's companions, particularly the supply of U.S.-made Patriot missile methods.
"Patriots and their missiles are actual defenders of life," he mentioned.
Regardless of Ukraine's pressing appeals, the U.S. Protection Division has paused shipments of Patriot methods and different key munitions, citing the necessity to replenish home stockpiles. Ukrainian officers have warned that such delays threaten to embolden Russia and intensify assaults on civilians.
The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy