Trump speaks with Putin and Zelenskyy before G7 summit

President Donald Trump spoke separately with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday, putting the war in Ukraine at the center of diplomacy as Trump prepared to travel to this week’s G7 summit.

The call with Putin lasted just under an hour, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters. The Guardian, citing Russia’s TASS news agency and Ushakov, reported that the call lasted 55 minutes and was described by Ushakov as “friendly and frank.”

Ushakov said Trump emphasized the need to end the fighting in Ukraine and said he was ready to influence European allies and Kyiv toward that goal, including at the upcoming G7 summit. According to Ushakov, Trump also said recent strikes on civilian targets in Russia complicated efforts to reach a settlement, though the White House had not confirmed that account or commented on the call.

Trump said ending the war quickly could open the door to “a truly new quality of U.S.-Russian relations,” Ushakov said. The Guardian reported that Putin, in a birthday greeting posted on the Kremlin website and quoted by Russian news agencies, wrote: “I am certain that together we could truly give Russian-American relations a new quality, and also do much to ensure security and stability on the world stage.”

Putin wished Trump a happy 80th birthday in what Ushakov called an “informal” manner. “Dear Mr President, dear Donald, I wholeheartedly congratulate you, such a bright, remarkable person and politician, on your 80th birthday!” Putin said in the greeting, according to The Guardian.

Putin told Trump that attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure by Kyiv would not change Ukraine’s position on the battlefield, Ushakov said. He also said that if Zelenskyy wants a meeting with him, “let him come to Moscow,” according to Ushakov.

Ushakov said U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to travel to Russia soon. The leaders also discussed Iran, where Trump said a U.S. agreement with Tehran was close and that he hoped results of the talks could be made public Sunday, according to Ushakov. The Guardian reported that Trump told Putin the United States was nearing a peace deal with Iran as the U.S.-Israel war against the country continues.

Zelenskyy said on Telegram that he had a “wonderful conversation” with Trump. He said he congratulated Trump on his birthday and thanked him for supporting Ukraine. The Ukrainian president said they discussed “what could help bring peace closer now,” without giving details, and that he informed Trump Ukraine’s position along the eastern front line had improved and strengthened.

“We agreed to discuss more during our meeting at the G7 summit,” Zelenskyy said.

Trump was preparing to celebrate his birthday Sunday with a UFC event on the White House South Lawn before flying overnight to France for the G7 summit. CBS News reported that Ukraine is expected to be a major topic at the summit Tuesday, when Zelenskyy is due to join the gathering. The Guardian reported that the $60 million “UFC Freedom 250” event would feature a 92-foot steel structure and seven fighting bouts.

The diplomatic calls came amid continued fighting. Ukrainian drone attacks killed one person and wounded nine others overnight in a residential building in the Russian regional capital of Oryol, Gov. Andrei Klychkov said Sunday. Local authorities said another drone attack killed one person in Russia’s Bryansk region.

A separate drone strike hit fuel storage facilities in Russia’s Yaroslavl region, about 440 miles from the Ukrainian border, sparking fires. Zelenskyy said the strike hit “an oil facility that was important for the reserve of the aggressor state.” Ukraine has increased attacks on Russian oil and gas infrastructure in recent months, saying the sector funds Moscow’s invasion.

Separately, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom is investigating a sanctioned tanker, the Smyrtos, suspected of belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet” used to evade war-related sanctions. British forces boarded and detained the vessel in the English Channel in coordination with French authorities, the Defense Ministry said.

“This operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fueling Putin’s war in Ukraine that they cannot hide,” Starmer said.