US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump spoke with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy Saturday to discuss the conflict in Ukraine ahead of a Nato summit in Ankara, the Kremlin and Zelenskyy said.

The calls were both to mark the 250th birthday of the United States, both sides said.

“The presidents naturally addressed the issue of a settlement in Ukraine, taking into account, in particular, Donald Trump’s upcoming participation in the Nato summit in Turkey on 7 and 8 July,” said Yuri Ushakov, the Kremlin’s foreign policy aide, according to the RIA Novosti news agency.

He said the two leaders also discussed issues including Iran and the Middle East during the 85-minute call.

Zelenskyy said he and Trump had also discussed the more than four years of war in his country, calling it a “very good phone call”.

I have congratulated President Trump @POTUS and all Americans on the Independence Day. We’ve had a very good phone call.

We are grateful to the United States for all the assistance we have received – from Javelins and Patriots to political support – and we deeply value that… pic.twitter.com/FKAPdpvnSN

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 4, 2026

“President Trump and I discussed the current situation on the frontline as well as our diplomatic efforts. There is a real prospect to put an end to this war, and America’s resolve is decisive. We have agreed to continue these discussions during the Nato Summit in Ankara,” he wrote on X.

Heads of state and delegations from 32 countries, including Trump, are expected to arrive in Ankara starting Tuesday for the summit.

Putin “outlined the actual situation on the battlefield (in Ukraine), where Russian armed forces are advancing confidently,” stated Ushakov.

On the front lines, Russian forces have made almost no progress in recent months, largely due to the presence of drones, which hinder the movement of heavy vehicles and inflict heavy losses on both sides.

Diplomatically, negotiations are at an impasse, with Moscow demanding the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the entire Donetsk region – a demand Kyiv rejects.