Ukraine conflict briefing: Putin tells Trump in telephone name Moscow able to renew peace talks

Vladimir Putin advised US counterpart Donald Trump on Saturday that Moscow used to be able to carry a contemporary spherical of peace talks with Kyiv after 22 June, as soon as the perimeters whole exchanging prisoners and infantrymen’ our bodies. Putin and Trump held a 50-minute telephone name on Saturday to speak about the escalating scenario within the Middle East and Ukraine peace talks, Putin aide Yuri Ushakov mentioned. Trump posted on Truth Social to mention Putin had known as “to very nicely wish me a Happy Birthday” at the day he became 79, however that “more importantly” the 2 mentioned the Iran-Israel disaster: “He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end,” Trump mentioned, regarding the Russia-Ukraine warfare. Putin and Trump held a decision for the 5th time for the reason that Republican took administrative center, in a stark pivot from the manner of his predecessor Joe Biden’s management. Trump hinted at follow-up discussions at the conflict in Ukraine within the coming week.

Ukraine’s chief Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the meantime didn’t point out whether or not Ukraine would conform to the following spherical of talks, handiest announcing that “the exchanges will be completed and the parties will discuss the next step.” Zelenskyy instructed the United States to “shift tone” in its discussion with Russia, announcing it used to be “too warm” and would now not assist to finish the preventing. He mentioned he was hoping that the escalation between Israel and Iran would now not lead to a drop in army support to Kyiv, in line with remarks printed on Saturday: “We would like to see aid to Ukraine not decrease because of this,” he mentioned. “Last time, this was a factor that slowed down aid to Ukraine.” The fresh escalation sparked fears Washington may relocate assets at its expense, to enhance the defence of its shut best friend Israel which unleashed a large-scale assault on Iran Friday.

A pointy upward push in world oil costs following Israeli moves on Iran will receive advantages Russia and bolster its army features within the conflict in Ukraine, Zelenskyy mentioned on Friday in feedback that have been underneath embargo till Saturday afternoon. Speaking to reporters in Kyiv, Zelenskyy mentioned the surge in oil costs threatened Ukraine’s place at the battlefield, particularly as a result of western allies have now not enforced efficient worth caps on Russian oil exports. “The strikes led to a sharp increase in the price of oil, which is negative for us,” Zelenskyy mentioned. “The Russians are getting stronger due to greater income from oil exports.”

Earlier on Saturday, Ukraine and Russia swapped prisoners within the fourth such change this week, a part of a large-scale plan to deliver again 1,000 wounded prisoners from every facet and go back the our bodies of useless infantrymen. The prisoner settlement used to be the one visual results of two fresh rounds of talks in Istanbul. Photos printed via Zelenskyy on Telegram confirmed males of quite a lot of ages, draped in Ukrainian flags. Some have been injured, others disembarked from buses and hugged the ones welcoming them, or have been noticed calling any individual via telephone, every so often masking their faces or smiling. Moscow’s defence ministry launched its personal video appearing males in uniforms retaining Russian flags, clapping and chanting “Glory to Russia” and “hooray”, some elevating their fists within the air. However, Russian state media reported that Moscow had now not won any of its conflict useless again from Kyiv, echoing a remark Russia made on Friday, when it returned the our bodies of 1,200 slain Ukrainian infantrymen. Zelenskyy mentioned he anticipated the prisoner swaps to proceed till 20 or 21 June.

Zelenskyy mentioned on Saturday that Ukrainian forces had recaptured Andriivka village in northeastern Sumy area. Zelenskyy additionally claimed “successful actions” close to Pokrovsk, for months a focal point of Russian assaults of their sluggish advance at the japanese entrance, and “strong results” close to Kupiansk, a space in northeastern Ukraine that has come underneath heavy Russian power. Global information businesses together with Reuters may just now not test the battlefield reviews. Since the beginning of the month, Russia has intensified its advances alongside the frontline, particularly within the north-eastern Ukrainian area of Sumy, the place it seeks to determine a “buffer zone”. Russia’s defence ministry mentioned on Saturday that its forces had seized the village of Zelenyi Kut, southwest of Pokrovsk. Zelenskyy mentioned Ukrainian troops had maintained defensive traces alongside greater than 1,000 km of the frontline. He additionally pushed aside Moscow’s claims that Russian troops had crossed into the central Ukrainian area of Dnipropetrovsk. Dnipropetrovsk borders 3 areas which can be partly occupied via Russia – Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Russia now controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.