Trump Says He Recently Spoke With Putin, Citing Strained Putin–Zelensky Relations

Overview

• Trump told journalists at the White House that he had a recent direct conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• He did not specify when the conversation took place or provide details about its substance.
• He said there is “a lot of dislike” between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which he said complicates efforts to resolve the conflict.
• He added that he believes Putin wants the conflict to end.
• The comments were reported by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, which provided no transcript or outside corroboration.