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Russian President Vladimir Putin told former U.S. President Donald Trump during a 50-minute phone call on Saturday that Moscow is prepared to resume peace talks with Ukraine after June 22, once the ongoing exchange of prisoners and fallen soldiers is completed. The call marked the fifth time the two leaders have spoken since Trump returned to office, signaling a notable shift in U.S.-Russia diplomatic engagement compared to the Biden administration’s stance.
According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, the leaders discussed the escalating Israel-Iran conflict and the war in Ukraine. Trump confirmed the call on his platform Truth Social, saying Putin initially called to wish him a happy 79th birthday but that they also shared concerns over both wars. “He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end,” Trump wrote, referring to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
While Russia appears open to a new round of negotiations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has remained cautious. In a statement Saturday, he refrained from confirming Kyiv’s participation in the talks but noted that discussions may follow once the current series of prisoner exchanges concludes. Zelenskyy also criticized Washington’s current tone with Moscow, calling it “too warm” and ineffective in helping end the war.
Zelenskyy expressed concern that the escalating crisis in the Middle East might divert U.S. military aid away from Ukraine. “We would like to see aid to Ukraine not decrease because of this,” he said, referencing previous instances where such conflicts slowed down Western support. The Ukrainian leader warned that a reduction in aid, combined with rising global oil prices, could strengthen Russia’s position on the battlefield.
Speaking to reporters in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said Friday’s Israeli strikes on Iran had driven up oil prices, which directly benefits Russia by boosting its export revenues. “The strikes led to a sharp increase in the price of oil, which is negative for us,” he said. “The Russians are getting stronger due to greater income from oil exports.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russia have conducted their fourth prisoner swap in a week, part of a larger effort to repatriate 1,000 wounded soldiers from each side and recover the bodies of fallen troops. Visuals shared by Zelenskyy on Telegram showed Ukrainian prisoners returning home, some visibly injured, others draped in national flags. Russia’s defense ministry released its own footage of uniformed men holding flags and chanting patriotic slogans. However, Moscow claimed it had not yet received any of its own war dead, while confirming the return of 1,200 Ukrainian bodies on Friday.
On the battlefield, Zelenskyy reported Ukrainian advances, including the recapture of Andriivka village in the northeastern Sumy region. He also cited progress near Pokrovsk and Kupiansk—key hotspots on the eastern frontlines. Russia, in contrast, claimed to have seized Zelenyi Kut village, southwest of Pokrovsk, and continues its push to establish a buffer zone in the Sumy region.
As the fighting intensifies, Russia’s defense ministry has asserted control over roughly 20% of Ukraine’s territory. Zelenskyy pushed back on claims that Russian forces had entered Dnipropetrovsk, a central region bordering the partially occupied territories of Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. He assured that Ukrainian forces were holding a defensive line stretching over 1,000 kilometers of frontline.
While prisoner swaps offer a rare glimpse of diplomacy, both sides remain entrenched in a brutal, grinding conflict—with peace still far from guaranteed.