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Former President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to retaliate against Ukraine following a major drone assault on Russian airfields, casting doubt on the possibility of an imminent peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump disclosed details of a 75-minute phone call with Putin, describing the conversation as “good” but not likely to result in “immediate Peace.” Trump said the two leaders discussed Ukraine’s drone strike on Russian air bases that occurred over the weekend, among other ongoing military actions.
“President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields,” Trump wrote, referring to Sunday’s drone strike, one of Ukraine’s most significant attacks on Russian infrastructure since the war began in 2022.
Trump’s comments come as tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalate despite ongoing diplomatic efforts. He also revealed that their conversation included talks about Iran’s nuclear program.
“President Putin suggested that he will participate in the discussions with Iran and that he could, perhaps, be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion,” Trump added. “It is my opinion that Iran has been slowwalking their decision on this very important matter, and we will need a definitive answer in a very short period of time!”
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed the call and said Putin accused Ukraine of trying to undermine peace negotiations. Ushakov added that Trump told Putin the U.S. was not informed in advance about Ukraine’s drone offensive. The White House has not responded to requests for comment on the matter.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that peace talks held Tuesday in Istanbul between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators focused on prisoner exchanges but did not produce a cease-fire. He claimed that Russia presented an “ultimatum” rather than a genuine proposal for ending hostilities.
Zelenskyy also expressed willingness to meet with both Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan “in the coming days” to continue discussions.
The backdrop to these diplomatic efforts is a worsening conflict. Ukrainian forces recently targeted key Russian infrastructure, including bridges linking Russia to Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Russia, in turn, continues to launch airstrikes against Ukrainian cities. Ukrainian officials report that four civilians were killed and more than a dozen wounded in Russian attacks over the past 24 hours.
A Ukrainian delegation also met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who serves as Trump’s national security adviser, and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, indicating active U.S. involvement in facilitating negotiations behind the scenes.
Despite claiming a friendly relationship with Putin in the past, Trump has recently expressed frustration with the Russian leader. Last week, Trump said the world would know “within two weeks” whether Putin was genuinely committed to ending the war.
The war, now stretching into its third year, shows no signs of immediate resolution. Trump’s remarks underscore growing skepticism that diplomatic overtures will yield rapid results — especially as Putin prepares a potential military response to Ukraine’s latest bold strike.
