Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a one-hour phone call on Tuesday (September 8), focusing on efforts to end the war in Ukraine, according to the Kremlin. The conversation took place as Russia launched a major overnight barrage against Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions, killing at least five people and injuring 25.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described the discussion as “extremely frank” and “constructive.” He said Putin provided what he called an “objective and detailed analysis” of the battlefield and outlined measures the United States could realistically take to accelerate an end to the fighting. Putin also told Trump that Russia had no “aggressive plans” toward Europe. The White House had not released its own account of the conversation at the time of the reports.
The call followed weekend meetings between US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and officials in Moscow and Kyiv. The talks were intended to revive US-led diplomatic efforts that have made little progress. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators could meet as early as September, adding that Kyiv was preparing to facilitate a trilateral meeting in the autumn.
Despite these diplomatic efforts, Russian attacks continued. Following a brief ceasefire that coincided with the US envoys’ visit, Russia launched at least 166 drones and dozens of missiles against Ukraine overnight from September 7 to 8. Explosions were reported in Kyiv, where fires broke out and residents sought shelter in underground stations. Russian forces also struck the building of the “We Are Ukraine” television channel, injuring at least five people.
Moscow continued to express support for negotiations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia remained “open to a peaceful resolution,” while opposing the participation of French, British and German security advisers in trilateral talks. However, significant differences remain. Russia continues to demand Ukrainian territorial concessions and an end to Western military support, conditions Kyiv has rejected as unacceptable. Meanwhile, Zelensky has called for additional Western air-defense systems, with the United Kingdom and Germany announcing plans to provide further Patriot missiles.
Source: commonspace.eu with Radio-Canada (Montréal) and Kyiv Post (Kyiv).
