Putin, Zelensky speak with Trump as drone strikes kill two in Russia, UK detains suspected sanctions-busting tanker

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held separate phone conversations with US President Donald Trump on Sunday, as efforts to end the war in Ukraine intensified ahead of this week’s G7 summit in France.

According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s call with Trump lasted nearly an hour. During the discussion, Trump stressed the need to end hostilities and said he was prepared to encourage European allies and Kyiv to pursue a settlement, including during talks at the G7 summit.

Ushakov said Trump noted that recent attacks on civilian targets inside Russia had complicated prospects for peace and suggested that a swift end to the conflict could pave the way for significantly improved US-Russia relations. Putin, meanwhile, argued that Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure would not alter the battlefield situation and reiterated that Zelensky could travel to Moscow if he wished to meet him.

The two leaders also discussed Iran, with Trump reportedly saying that a US-Iran agreement was close and expressing hope that the outcome of negotiations could soon be made public. Ushakov added that US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to visit Russia in the near future.

Separately, Zelensky described his call with Trump as a “wonderful conversation,” saying he thanked the US president for continued support for Ukraine. The two leaders discussed steps that could help advance peace efforts, while Zelensky also briefed Trump on what he said were improving Ukrainian positions along the eastern front.

“We agreed to discuss more during our meeting at the G7 summit,” Zelensky said in a statement on Telegram.

The calls came as Trump prepared to travel to France for the G7 summit, where Ukraine is expected to be a key topic and Zelensky is due to participate. The diplomatic outreach follows months of frustration for Trump over the prolonged conflict, which he once claimed he could end quickly, as well as growing concerns over tensions in the Middle East.

Fighting continued despite the renewed diplomatic activity. Russian officials said Ukrainian drone strikes overnight killed one person and injured several others in the Oryol region, while another attack claimed a life in the Bryansk region. A separate strike targeted fuel storage facilities in Russia’s Yaroslavl region, triggering fires.

Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian oil and gas infrastructure, arguing that revenues from the sector help finance Moscow’s military campaign.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK was investigating a sanctioned tanker suspected of being part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” used to circumvent sanctions. British forces detained the vessel in the English Channel in coordination with French authorities.

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