Kremlin Aide: Neither Leader Wanted to Hang Up First on Call

A senior Kremlin aide described the latest phone call between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin as “very friendly,” adding that neither leader wanted to be the one to end the conversation, according to Reuters.

What We Know

The Kremlin aide’s account, relayed to Reuters, is the first detailed characterization of the tone of the call rather than its substance. The description of a conversation neither side wanted to cut short signals a degree of personal rapport between the two leaders at a moment when their governments are simultaneously negotiating energy trade and managing a stalled Ukraine war.

The call is the latest in a string of direct Trump-Putin contacts this month. Trump has already publicly thanked Putin for “massive” Russian diesel shipments reaching the US after Washington eased sanctions tied to the trade, a shift reported this week. That diesel arrangement has become a flashpoint in its own right: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called it a “smokescreen” that lets Washington avoid harder questions about ending the war, and separately warned that the deal effectively bankrolls Moscow’s war effort, as detailed in our earlier coverage and follow-up report.

The friendly tone described by the Kremlin aide also lands the same day Trump told reporters “it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president,” a remark made alongside comments on possible US involvement in Saudi strikes against the Houthis, as reported separately.

What We Don’t Know

Reuters’ report, citing the unnamed Kremlin aide, did not specify the call’s length, who initiated it, or what substantive matters — Ukraine, the diesel arrangement, or other fronts — were discussed beyond the characterization of its tone. The Kremlin has not released a transcript or an official readout, and the White House has not independently confirmed the aide’s account of the call’s atmosphere.

It also remains unclear whether the warmth described in this call reflects any actual movement on Ukraine peace talks. Putin has separately told Trump that a near-term resumption of substantive talks is unlikely, citing recent Ukrainian strikes, a position relayed during an earlier contact this week.

Context

The personal tone of the call stands in sharp contrast to events on the ground in Ukraine. A Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia killed 12 people and wounded 14 others a day after Washington eased diesel sanctions on Moscow, according to the Jerusalem Post, underscoring the gap between warming diplomatic rhetoric at the top and continued fighting on the ground, a pattern also visible in our coverage of Russia’s deadly strike following the diesel deal.

That contrast has become a recurring theme of the current news cycle: each report of a cordial Trump-Putin exchange or a new energy arrangement between Washington and Moscow has been followed within days by fresh Russian strikes inside Ukraine, or by Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure tied to the diesel deal, as covered in our report on Ukraine’s strike on a Russian fuel site.

For Kyiv, the Kremlin’s characterization of a warm call — paired with Trump’s remark that Ukraine needs a “new president” — is likely to deepen concerns that Washington’s dealings with Moscow are proceeding on a separate track from, and potentially at the expense of, Ukraine’s negotiating position.

What to Watch

1. Whether the White House offers its own account of the call’s tone or substance, confirming or complicating the Kremlin aide’s characterization.
2. Whether this warmth translates into any shift in Putin’s stated position that near-term Ukraine peace talks remain unlikely.
3. Whether Zelenskyy or Ukrainian officials respond publicly to a Trump-Putin call described as unusually friendly, given Kyiv’s existing objections to the diesel arrangement.