Trump Brokers Peace Talks with Putin and Zelenskyy at G7

President Donald Trump conducted separate telephone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on June 14, 2026, coinciding with his 80th birthday. During these calls, Trump emphasized that a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine is vital and expressed readiness to influence Kyiv and European allies toward a peace deal during the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France.

In a 55-minute call, Putin characterized Trump as a remarkable politician and suggested their cooperation could bring a new quality to US-Russian relations. However, Putin asserted that Ukrainian strikes on Russian civilian infrastructure would not alter the battlefield situation and invited Zelenskyy to meet in Moscow. Trump also informed Putin that a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran is close to completion, with results expected to be made public soon. The two leaders agreed that U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia shortly.

Separately, Zelenskyy updated Trump on battlefield developments and agreed to further peace discussions during a G7 working session on Tuesday. While Trump initially had no official bilateral meeting scheduled with Zelenskyy, the two later agreed to meet personally during the summit. This diplomatic push occurs amid continued conflict, including Ukrainian drone strikes in Russia and new European Union sanctions targeting Russia's military-industrial complex and shadow fleet following strikes on a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Kyiv.