Home · World · Sep 8 archive
Putin Assures Trump of No Aggressive Intentions Toward Europe, Zelenskyy Welcomes US Delegation
Confirmed
In Short: Russian President Putin assured US President Trump of Russia's non-aggressive stance during a phone call, while Ukrainian President Zelenskyy expressed hope for a meeting with Trump to discuss peace efforts.
Russian President Putin assured US President Trump of Russia's non-aggressive stance during a phone call, according to a senior Kremlin official. European officials had expressed concerns about Russian sabotage campaigns on their soil. During the call, Putin also discussed the combat situation in Ukraine and Russia's plans to achieve its military goals, as reported by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the US delegation that visited Kyiv, saying they presented 'very good, worthwhile ideas' for ending Russia's 4 1/2-year-old war. Zelenskyy hopes to meet with Trump within two weeks. The US envoys met with Putin for over three hours, but no breakthroughs were achieved, as reported by Fox News.
Despite the assurances from Putin, the war could drag on for even more years as Russia reconstitutes its forces and defense industry, according to Elbridge Colby, the US undersecretary of defense for policy. Russian President Putin also told Trump about the combat situation in Ukraine and Russia's plans to make battlefield gains, as reported by Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign policy advisor.
What's still developing
- Witkoff and Kushner met with Putin for more than three hours behind closed doors, The Associated Press reported, and concluded without any breakthroughs.
- In a post on X, Zelenskyy said Ukraine will work to keep Russian airspace safe during the Americans’ visit.
- "Just as we did during previous diplomatic visits by the American side, we will ensure the normal functioning of Russian airspace so that the negotiators can arrive safely. We are looking out for them, not for Russia. There will be no air strikes from our side, and Russia must do the same, ensuring there are no air strikes from its side for the time needed to hold these talks and handle the logistical matters related to this American visit," Zelenskyy wrote.
- "The attack on the aircraft in Leipzig was concrete; it could have triggered a catastrophe had it succeeded. The attacker was, at most, covert, but even here there is now certainty: The German government has named Russia as the mastermind. Patterns of attack, police investigations, and intelligence findings prove Russian responsibility for the drone attack," Stefan Kornelius, a spokesperson for the German federal government, wrote Friday.
- We need to look for real options for how to move this war toward an end.
- Russia, however, remains determined to accomplish its military goals and it believes it's close to winning, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
- The attacks killed at least five civilians and wounded 25 others in Kyiv, officials said, while officials from Russia reported three people killed and 13 wounded in areas it controls.