Trump tells Putin US-Russia ties could be restored with swift end to Ukraine war

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held an hour-long phone call on September 8, 2026, discussing a swift end to the Ukraine war. According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, Trump emphasized that resolving the conflict quickly would allow the U.S. and Russia to fully restore trade and economic ties. The call followed a weekend diplomatic mission to Moscow and Kyiv by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, which failed to produce an immediate breakthrough. Meanwhile, Russia resumed air strikes on Ukrainian cities, prompting criticism from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump-Putin phone call

• ▪Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov described the September 8, 2026, phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin as constructive, candid, and confidential.
• ▪Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin agreed during their September 8, 2026, phone call to remain in contact and to continue bilateral prisoner exchanges.
• ▪U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held an hour-long phone conversation on September 8, 2026, to discuss reviving stalled peace negotiations for the war in Ukraine.

Witkoff-Kushner diplomatic mission

• ▪The diplomatic discussions led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow and Kyiv failed to produce an immediate public breakthrough, according to sources familiar with the matter.
• ▪U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow for over three hours on September 5, 2026, before traveling to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on September 6, 2026.

US-Russia relations restoration

• ▪Donald Trump expressed a desire to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough in the Ukraine war during his presidency to bring trade benefits to both the United States and Russia.
• ▪Donald Trump told Vladimir Putin that a swift end to the Ukraine conflict would allow U.S.-Russia trade, economic, and bilateral relations to be fully restored.

Putin battlefield assessment

• ▪Vladimir Putin provided Donald Trump with an assessment of the battlefield situation in Ukraine and outlined specific measures the United States could take to help end the conflict.
• ▪Vladimir Putin told Donald Trump that Russia has no hostile plans or aggressive intentions toward European nations, dismissing European concerns as myths used to justify military spending.

Russian air attacks resume

• ▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that there has been too little response from the international community to the resumed deadly Russian air strikes.
• ▪Russian forces resumed air attacks on major Ukrainian cities following a brief pause during the weekend visit of U.S. peace negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Debatable claims

• ▪Russia poses a genuine military threat to other European nations
• ▪The US should fully restore relations with Russia if the Ukraine war ends