Trump talks with Zelenskyy and Putin; Vance says Ukraine’s drone strategy is successfully depleting Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Kremlin said President Donald Trump spoke separately with Ukrainian and Russian leaders as efforts to end the war remained stalled, with kyiv and Moscow deadlocked on key issues.

These calls took place on July 4, as the United States marked the 250th anniversary of its independence.

Although there was no immediate comment from the White House on either call, Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuriy Ushakov, said Trump remained willing to continue mediation efforts to end the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year.

“There is a real prospect of ending this war, and America’s determination is decisive,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, following what he called a “very good” conversation with Trump.

Zelensky also said he had briefed the US president on the latest developments on the battlefield in Ukraine and announced that the two leaders had agreed to “continue discussions” on a possible resolution to the conflict at next week’s NATO summit in Ankara.

US Vice President JD Vance said Ukraine “should not” launch a counter-offensive to liberate its territory, but rather wear down Russia with drone attacks.

In comments to the Sunday Times published July 5, Vance said the Trump administration is leaning toward the idea that the Ukrainians, while negotiations are underway, should simply stick to a defensive stance. According to him, this approach has been much more successful because “it is easier to defend than to attack. It allowed the Ukrainians to win [slightly] better use of their tactical advantage.

“Frankly, the Russians now find themselves in a situation where what they can achieve through prolonged offensive operations is negligible – and close to zero. This may well create the space we need to go all the way,” Vance said.

In recent months, kyiv has intensified its long- and medium-term strike campaign that has caused nationwide fuel shortages in Russia, forcing at least 17 regions to impose mandatory restrictions on gasoline and diesel sales.

On July 4, Ukrainian drones struck the St. Petersburg oil terminal – a major Baltic oil hub – and nearby port infrastructure. Russian authorities said air defenses repelled the attack and reported only minor damage, while Ukraine said the strikes targeted strategic energy infrastructure.

As fuel shortages fuel discontent among Russians who were previously largely shielded from the country’s all-out war against Ukraine, the Kremlin is increasingly seeking to draw attention to what it presents as battlefield successes.

According to Ushakov, during his “90 Minutes” call, Putin offered Trump his version of the dynamics on the battlefield, with the Russian president briefing his American counterpart on Russia’s ground offensive in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

On the eve of the calls with Trump, Russia and Ukraine made conflicting statements on the battlefield, with Moscow insisting that it had captured the region’s key city, Kostyantynivka, and kyiv rejecting that claim – a position reiterated by Zelensky on July 5.

Zelensky also warned that intelligence suggests Russia is preparing a massive new air campaign against Ukraine, following the deadly barrage on the night of July 1-2.

“This is on Putin’s mind – right after American Independence Day and before the NATO summit in Ankara. Russia wants to add to the evil and kill people,” Zelensky said in his July 5 video statement.

Trump “once again confirmed his desire to work towards a rapid end to the fighting and to find solutions to overcome the crisis,” Ushakov said after Putin’s talks with the US president.

He added, however, that Putin told Trump that Moscow continued to seek “a political-diplomatic resolution to the conflict, taking due account of Russia’s fundamental approach.”

Despite the diplomatic efforts led by the United States since Trump’s arrival at the White House in January 2025, kyiv and Moscow have remained very far apart on the terms of the negotiations.

In 2026, as Washington focuses on the war against Iran, there has also been little momentum toward easing the fighting, with the Kremlin sticking to its hard line and offering no compromise on its demand for full control of Donbass, which includes the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine.

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