Vladimir Putin told Donald Trump in a Tuesday phone call that Russia has no hostile intentions towards Europe, according to the Kremlin, following inconclusive visits to Moscow and Kyiv by Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner aimed at ending the Ukraine war. The hour-long call focused on a possible settlement, with Trump reportedly stressing the benefits of a swift resolution, including a full restoration of US-Russian relations, though no breakthrough was announced.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin dismissed reports that Russia was preparing to attack a NATO member, and confirmed Putin had ordered a temporary halt to strikes on Kyiv to allow the envoys' negotiations to proceed safely. The talks followed a secret visit to Russia by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who reportedly warned Moscow against attacking NATO states. The four-and-a-half-year war has caused an estimated 570,000 to 775,000 deaths combined, with casualties including the injured and missing reaching around 1.6 million for Russia and up to 625,000 for Ukraine; talks remain stalled, with Russia demanding territorial concessions in Donbas that Kyiv has rejected, and no further meetings scheduled.