White House: Trump-Putin call ‘very productive’; Trump congratulated Putin on Gaza deal

The White House said on Thursday evening that the conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was very good and highly constructive.

President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social account that he had held a “very fruitful” phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, covering a number of important international issues.

According to Trump’s statement, the Russian president congratulated the United States on “the great achievement of peace in the Middle East,” which he described as “a centuries‑long dream.”

Trump also said he believes success on the Middle East file will help accelerate negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

The call also included President Putin thanking First Lady Melania Trump for her engagement with children, according to the statement. The two leaders also discussed trade between the two countries after the Ukraine crisis ends.

The presidents agreed to hold a meeting of their senior advisers next week, chaired on the U.S. side by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

They also agreed on a subsequent summit meeting between Trump and Putin in the Hungarian capital Budapest to discuss ending what Trump described as “the pointless war between Russia and Ukraine.”

Trump announced he will meet with Volodymyr Zelensky tomorrow in the Oval Office to discuss the content of his conversation with Putin and other matters.

Trump expressed optimism about making “major progress” during the phone call, suggesting a possible breakthrough on the Ukraine issue.

The phone conversation between the two presidents was the eighth this year and the first after 59 days since their last contact.

The last call between the Russian and U.S. presidents took place on the night of August 19, a few days after U.S.-Russian talks in Anchorage, and Trump initiated the call at that time. According to Axios, Trump was at the White House holding talks with representatives from some European countries and Volodymyr Zelensky, but decided to leave the meeting and call Putin.

Earlier, the two leaders spoke by phone on July 3, when the Russian president told Trump that Russia would not back down from its objectives in Ukraine.

The first call after Trump returned to the presidency took place on February 12, and it was also the first call between the Russian and U.S. leaders in three years. The presidents spoke again by phone on March 18, when Putin supported Trump’s idea of imposing a 30‑day ceasefire on attacks against energy facilities, but Kyiv did not join the initiative.

After that, Putin and Trump spoke on May 19 and June 4, following rounds of direct Russian‑Ukrainian talks in Istanbul. On June 14, Putin congratulated Trump on his birthday and the two discussed the escalation in the Middle East.

The main topics of most of Putin and Trump’s conversations have been the restoration of bilateral relations and the situation in Ukraine. The two leaders also typically touch on current issues, as was the case with the Middle East.

Orban says his country is ready

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, commenting on the possibility of an upcoming meeting between the Russian and U.S. presidents in Budapest, said his country is ready to host the meeting.

Orban said the agreement between Presidents Putin and Trump to hold a new meeting offers an excellent opportunity to advance peace.

The Hungarian prime minister wrote on the social media platform X: “The anticipated meeting between the American and Russian presidents is truly good news for all lovers of peace around the world. We are ready.”

Dmitriev assesses the conversation

Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said the dialogue between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump was productive and positive with a clear identification of next steps.

Dmitriev said: “This positive and fruitful phone conversation between Presidents Putin and Trump is important for the whole world, with a clear definition of the next steps.”