Putin assures Trump Russia has no aggressive plans for Europe amid ongoing Ukraine conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin told U.S. President Donald Trump in a recent phone conversation that Moscow does not have aggressive plans toward Europe, a senior Kremlin official said. The hour-long call was described by Putin’s foreign-affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov as "constructive and quite frank," and it included discussion of the combat situation in Ukraine and Russia’s objectives in its "special military operation."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said U.S. envoys who visited Kyiv presented "very good, worthwhile ideas" for ending the war and expressed hope of meeting Trump within two weeks. He also urged Trump to provide additional Patriot air-defence systems, noting Ukraine’s need for 300 Patriot missiles, 500 air-to-air interceptors and $2 billion for drones. The European Commission approved a €3.2 billion loan to help Kyiv purchase Patriot components.

U.S. Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby warned that the conflict could drag on for years as Russia rebuilds its forces and defence industry, urging preparation for a protracted war and continued Ukrainian needs. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia is "very confident in our military potential" and believes victory is close, while also stating Moscow wants a peaceful solution and welcomes diplomatic efforts.

Despite the diplomatic exchanges, fighting resumed after a weekend truce, with attacks killing seven people and injuring 28 in Kyiv and surrounding areas, and three killed and 13 wounded in Russian-controlled territories. Ukrainian officials described the overnight strike on Kyiv and Odesa as "horrific," while Russia claimed it targeted military-related facilities.

Separately, a drone entered Romanian airspace before crashing in Moldova, causing a fire but no injuries. Both countries have reported multiple drone incidents since the 2022 invasion.