US President Donald Trump voiced confidence in achieving a resolution to the Ukraine war, confirming he recently spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, following high-level meetings in Washington with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and key European leaders.
The discussion marks the latest known contact between the two leaders since August 18. On that date, Trump interrupted his White House talks with Zelensky and European officials to call the Russian president. When questioned by reporters about the recent conversation, Trump confirmed it took place. He characterised his dialogues with Putin positively, though he acknowledged ongoing challenges.
Trump'tan Putin'e uyarı: İki hafta süre verdi! https://t.co/71SIWy2ITw pic.twitter.com/H2fWQubBE3
— CNN TÜRK (@cnnturk) August 26, 2025“Every conversation I have with him is a good conversation,” Trump stated. “And then, unfortunately, a bomb is loaded up into Kyiv or someplace, and I get very angry about it.” This latest call follows a landmark summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska on August 15. That meeting aimed to negotiate a deal to conclude Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
After their previous call, Trump announced that Putin had agreed to a bilateral meeting with Zelensky. However, Moscow has since denied any plans for such direct talks. When asked about Putin’s apparent reluctance to meet with the Ukrainian leader, Trump offered a simple explanation: “Because he doesn’t like him.”
US president Trump:
We are discussing denuclearization with Putin. US aims for further reduction of nuclear weapons together with Russia and wants to involve China in the process. pic.twitter.com/1XhIrkcrkH
— Current Report (@Currentreport1) August 26, 2025Despite this obstacle, the US president maintained an optimistic outlook on achieving peace. “I think we’re going to get the war done,” he told reporters. Following the Washington discussions, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio committed to maintaining allied coordination toward a future settlement.
The State Department confirmed that Rubio participated in a joint call on Monday with Ukraine’s foreign minister and their counterparts from Britain, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the European Union. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the ministers agreed to “continue cooperation in diplomatic efforts to bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end through a lasting negotiated settlement.”
Read: Russia Captures Two Donetsk Villages Amid Ukraine Conflict Escalation
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani emphasised the importance of “concrete and credible security guarantees for Ukraine,” inspired by NATO’s principle of collective defence. He also stated Italy’s readiness to participate in demining operations on land and sea. While Trump recently mentioned progress on security guarantees to Zelensky, he has consistently sided with Russia in opposing Ukraine’s membership in NATO.
