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Trump says spoke with Putin after August 18 phone call

The US leader voiced confidence that the Ukrainian conflict can be resolved, but admitted that "it's tough"

WASHINGTON, August 25. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump said that he talked with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after August 18, when they spoke over the phone during a meeting between the White House host and European leaders.

During his conversation with journalists at the signing ceremony for a range of new executive orders at the White House, Trump was asked whether he had spoken with Putin "since last Monday." "Yes," the US leader replied, without specifying how many conversations had occurred or when exactly they had taken place.

Trump voiced confidence that the Ukrainian conflict can be resolved, but admitted that "it's tough." "The fact that he (Putin - TASS) went to Alaska, our country, I think was a big statement that he wants to get it done," the US leader noted.

On August 18, Trump received Vladimir Zelensky, presidents of Finland and France Alexander Stubb and Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister of Great Britain Keir Starmer, Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz, and the head of the Italian government Giorgia Meloni. In addition, the meeting was attended by the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. According to Macron, the talks focused on security guarantees for Ukraine.

During the meeting, Trump called Putin to discuss the prospects for his meeting with Zelensky and later trilateral talks. According to Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov, the two leaders spoke in favor of the continuation of direct talks between Moscow and Kiev and discussed the possibility of raising the level of delegations.

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Vladimir Putin Donald Trump

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