Trump Speaks with Putin Amid Escalating Tensions as Ukraine Dismisses Russian Ceasefire Proposal

U.S. President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to respond to Ukraine’s recent drone strikes on Russian airfields during a phone call Wednesday, marking a new escalation in the deadlocked war as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected Russia's ceasefire proposal.

Trump described the lengthy conversation with Putin as “a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace,” in a social media post. This marks Trump’s first public reaction to Ukraine's high-profile attack on Russian air bases. The U.S. did not have prior knowledge of the operation, the White House confirmed. The call is also Trump’s first known direct contact with Putin since May 19.

Trump did not detail his response to Putin’s statement about retaliating for the drone strike, and showed no visible signs of recent frustrations he had publicly expressed toward the Russian leader. In prior statements, Trump had accused Putin of prolonging the war and called him “absolutely CRAZY,” while vowing to end the war swiftly, even claiming he would do so before taking office.

Though Trump has advocated for peace, he has not committed to a bipartisan initiative to impose sanctions on Putin. During the call, the leaders also discussed Iran’s nuclear program, according to Trump. It remains unclear whether Trump plans to speak with Zelenskyy. The White House did not respond to inquiries on Wednesday.

**Zelenskyy Rejects Russian Plan, Seeks Direct Talks with Putin**

Earlier in the day, Zelenskyy dismissed Moscow's ceasefire proposal as “an ultimatum” and renewed calls for direct negotiations with Putin. He criticized the Kremlin’s conditions as disingenuous and accused Moscow of stalling to buy time for more arms and troops.

During a video call with Russian officials, Putin ruled out the possibility of a summit with Zelenskyy, citing recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian railways in the Kursk and Bryansk regions. “How can any such (summit) meetings be conducted in such circumstances?” Putin asked. He accused Ukraine of using ceasefire talks as a strategy to regroup militarily.

Despite efforts led by the U.S. to broker peace, Russia and Ukraine exchanged memorandums ahead of Monday’s peace talks in Istanbul that reiterated longstanding, irreconcilable demands. These marked the second round of direct negotiations in just over two weeks.

Zelenskyy dismissed the Istanbul talks as a repeat of failed earlier efforts. “The same ultimatums they voiced back then — now they just put them on paper,” he said, calling the document “spam” and “artificial diplomacy.” He added that talks in Istanbul carried the “same content and spirit” as those held early in the war.

Zelenskyy signaled a willingness for higher-level engagement and expressed openness to a summit with Putin — possibly involving Trump — and proposed holding it in Istanbul, the Vatican, or Switzerland. However, he insisted on a ceasefire first.

**Peace Talks Stall as Military Escalations Continue**

Monday’s talks in Istanbul, led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov for Ukraine and Putin aide Vladimir Medinsky for Russia, lasted just over an hour and ended without progress. The only agreement was on exchanging the remains of thousands of dead and severely wounded soldiers.

Zelenskyy also said another prisoner exchange could take place over the weekend. Meanwhile, U.S. involvement appeared to wane, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth skipped a Brussels meeting of the international group coordinating military aid to Ukraine — the first such absence since the group's inception.

A report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies said the Kremlin is hoping for decreased U.S. engagement and is trying to avoid further sanctions.

**Ukraine Drone Strikes and Russian Gains Escalate Conflict**

Ukraine’s Security Service released additional footage from its weekend drone attack on Russian air bases, claiming the destruction or damage of 41 aircraft, including strategic bombers. The footage showed drones flying around aircraft and some planes engulfed in flames. Targets reportedly included A-50, Tu-95, Tu-22, Tu-160, An-12, and Il-78 aircraft.

The drones reportedly operated with partial human guidance and partial AI control, flying along preset routes when signal was lost. Caitlin Lee of RAND Corporation confirmed that human operators ultimately selected the targets.

Ukraine also claimed responsibility for an underwater explosion beneath the Kerch Bridge linking Russia to Crimea. The Kremlin denied any damage, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissing the claim.

Russia’s Defense Ministry announced the capture of another village in Ukraine’s Sumy region, citing the goal of creating a buffer zone to prevent Ukrainian cross-border attacks. Since May 22, Russian forces claim to have taken control of nine villages in the region.