U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday revealed details of a high-stakes, 75-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which the Russian leader vowed retaliation following Ukraine’s recent drone strikes on key Russian air bases.
The strikes, launched on June 1, reportedly destroyed 12 bombers and damaged 41 aircraft, inflicting an estimated $7 billion in losses to Russia’s strategic aviation fleet.
Trump, addressing reporters at the White House, described the conversation as “serious and constructive,” but made clear that a peace breakthrough is not imminent.
“President Putin was very upset. He told me, and I quote, ‘This will not go unanswered,’ Trump said. “I told him that escalation benefits no one, but he made it clear Russia is preparing a response.”
The Trump-Putin phone call comes amid increasing global concern that the war in Ukraine, now in its third year, could spiral further out of control following Ukraine’s long-range drone operation that struck five Russian airfields across five time zones. Kyiv has hailed the operation dubbed “Spider’s Web” as a major military success.
“We’re seeing some of the most strategic aircraft Russia has destroyed or taken offline,” Trump said. “But my goal is to get both sides to stop the bloodshed and start talking.”
During the call, Trump and Putin also discussed Iran. “Neither of us want to see a nuclear-armed Iran,” Trump told reporters. “Putin said he’d help talk to them, but I told him—Tehran’s playing for time. They don’t want to come clean.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, responding to reports of the Trump-Putin phone call, reiterated that Kyiv remains open to negotiations, but not on Moscow’s terms.
“What Russia offers are not peace proposals, they are ultimatums,” Zelenskyy said in a statement. “We are ready for real talks, not threats.”
Putin, however, reportedly rejected the idea of U.S.-mediated talks, accusing Ukraine of using ceasefire discussions as a distraction to regroup. “There will be no pause that helps the Ukrainian military strengthen itself,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian media.
Despite two prior rounds of ceasefire talks in Istanbul, progress has been limited to small humanitarian agreements. Ukraine has floated the idea of a temporary ceasefire before a potential Trump-hosted summit, but Russia has continued advancing into Ukraine’s Sumy region, claiming the need for a security buffer.
“Everyone wants peace, but peace without realism is just noise,” President Trump said. “We’re going to keep working at it. Slowly, but we’ll get there.”
With agency reports
