Putin tells Trump Russia will not 'give up' on aims in Ukraine: Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin told US President Donald Trump during a phone call on Thursday that Moscow would not "give up" on its objectives in Ukraine, the Kremlin said.

The nearly hour-long conversation came amid stalled US-led peace efforts to end the more than three-year-old conflict in Ukraine, and just days after Washington paused certain weapons shipments to Kyiv.

Trump has reportedly grown frustrated with both Moscow and Kyiv as diplomatic efforts continue to yield no major breakthrough.

"Our president said that Russia will achieve the aims it set, that is to say the elimination of the root causes that led to the current state of affairs," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters. "Russia will not give up on these aims."

Moscow has long framed its maximalist goals in Ukraine as addressing the so-called “root causes” of the conflict—particularly demanding that Kyiv abandon its ambitions to join NATO.

The Russian invasion, launched in 2022, has led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands and resulted in Russian forces occupying large parts of eastern and southern Ukraine.

Despite reiterating Moscow's military goals, Ushakov said Putin told Trump that Russia remains open to dialogue.

"He also spoke of the readiness of the Russian side to continue the negotiation process," Ushakov said. "Vladimir Putin said that we are continuing to look for a political, negotiated solution to the conflict."

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Russia has repeatedly rejected a US -backed ceasefire proposal in recent months. Kyiv and its Western allies have accused Putin of dragging out negotiations while continuing military offensives on the ground.

The Kremlin also said that during the call, Putin emphasized to Trump that conflicts in the Middle East—particularly following US strikes on nuclear sites in Iran, a Russian ally—should be resolved diplomatically.

The phone call came as Kyiv reported at least eight people were killed in Russian strikes on Thursday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was in Denmark at the time, meeting with European allies.

A senior Ukrainian official told AFP that Trump and Zelensky are expected to speak by phone on Friday.

The recent US decision to pause some arms shipments has dealt a blow to Ukraine, which has relied heavily on Western military aid since Russia's 2022 invasion.

Speaking in Denmark, Zelensky warned that uncertainty over US support underscores the importance of deepening cooperation with Brussels and NATO. He reiterated Ukraine’s support for what he called Trump’s “unconditional ceasefire” plan.

On Wednesday, Kyiv sought clarification from Washington over the White House’s announcement of the pause in arms deliveries.

“Continued American support for Ukraine, for our defence, for our people, is in our common interest,” Zelensky said.

Russia has repeatedly urged Western countries to end military support for Ukraine.