WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� U.S. President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin told him 鈥渧ery strongly鈥� in a phone call Wednesday that he will respond to as the deadlock over the war drags on.
Trump said in a social media post that his lengthy call with Putin "was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace.鈥�
It's the first time Trump has weighed in on . The U.S. did not have advance notice of the operation, according to the White House, a point Trump emphasized during the call with Putin, according to Putin鈥檚 foreign affairs adviser.
The call comes as the U.S. leads a to broker a peace deal following nearly 3 1/2 years of war.
Trump, in his post, did not say how he reacted to Putin's promise to respond to , but it showed none of the with his Russian counterpart in recent weeks over his prolonging of the war.
Yuri Ushakov, Putin鈥檚 foreign affairs adviser, said at a briefing that the two leaders characterized the call as 鈥減ositive and quite productive.鈥�
鈥淚 believe it was useful for Trump to hear our assessments of what happened,鈥� Ushakov said, noting that the discussion of the attacks was one of the key topics.
Zelenskyy responds to Trump-Putin call
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media: 鈥淢any have spoken with Russia at various levels. But none of these talks have brought a reliable peace, or even stopped the war. Unfortunately, Putin feels impunity.鈥�
The Ukrainian leader urged more pressure on Russia and said that Putin鈥檚 planned response 鈥渕eans, that with every new strike, with every delay of diplomacy, Russia is giving the finger to the entire world 鈥� to all those who still hesitate to increase pressure on it.鈥�
The sentiment was echoed by top Zelenskyy adviser Andrii Yermak, who said at a briefing in Washington that Russia understands strength and doesn't have the political will to end the war.
But that 鈥渄oes not mean Ukraine closed the door to continue the negotiations,鈥� said Yermak, who was part of a Ukrainian delegation that met with lawmakers, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and other officials in the U.S. this week.
Trump has repeatedly promised to end the war quickly but lost patience in recent weeks, publicly pleading with Putin to stop fighting and even saying the Russian leader ."
Trump, however, has not committed to backing a .
The call was Trump鈥檚 first known talk with Putin since May 19. They also discussed, according to Trump and Ushakov, Iran鈥檚 nuclear program and the possibility of Russia engaging in .
It was not clear if Trump also planned to speak with Zelenskyy. The White House did not respond to a message Wednesday afternoon.
Zelenskyy and Putin weigh in on the state of talks
The Ukrainian leader earlier Wednesday dismissed as 鈥渁n ultimatum鈥� and renewed his call for direct talks with Putin to break the stalemate.
Putin, however, showed no willingness to meet with Zelenskyy, expressing anger Wednesday about what he said were Ukraine's recent 鈥渢errorist acts鈥� on Russian rail lines in the Kursk and Bryansk regions on the countries' border.
鈥淗ow can any such (summit) meetings be conducted in such circumstances? What shall we talk about?鈥� Putin asked in a video call with top Russian officials.
Putin accused Ukraine of seeking a truce only to replenish its stockpiles of Western arms, recruit more soldiers and prepare new attacks.
He also spoke Wednesday to Pope Leo XIV, who has promised to make 鈥� 鈥� to help end the war.
Leo urged Putin to make a gesture that would promote peace and stressed the importance of dialogue, the Vatican said.
Russia and Ukraine had exchanged memos setting out their conditions for a ceasefire for discussion Monday in Istanbul, the second direct meeting in just over two weeks.
Russia and Ukraine have established red lines that make a quick deal unlikely. The Kremlin's proposal contained a list of demands that Kyiv and its Western allies see as nonstarters.
The second round of talks lasted just over an hour and made no progress on ending the war, with the sides agreeing only to swap thousands of their dead and seriously wounded troops.
Also, a new prisoner exchange with Russia could take place over the weekend, Zelenskyy said.
He described the latest negotiations as 鈥渁 political performance鈥� and 鈥渁rtificial diplomacy鈥� designed to stall for time, delay sanctions and convince the United States that Russia is engaged in dialogue.
Military strikes continue during diplomacy
In tandem with the talks, both sides have kept up military actions along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line.
Ukraine鈥檚 Security Service gave more details Wednesday about its on Russian air bases, which it claimed destroyed or damaged 41 aircraft, including strategic bombers.
It released more footage showing drones swooping under and over parked aircraft and featuring some planes burning. It claimed the planes struck included A-50, Tu-95, Tu-22, Tu-160, An-12, and Il-78 aircraft. It said the drones had highly automated capabilities, partly piloted by an operator and partly by artificial intelligence that flew the devices along a planned route in case the signal was lost.
The drones were not fully autonomous and a 鈥渉uman is still choosing what target to hit,鈥� said Caitlin Lee, a drone warfare expert at , a think thank.
Ukraine鈥檚 security agency said it also set off an explosion Tuesday on the seabed beneath the Kerch Bridge, a vital transport link between Russia and illegally annexed Crimea, claiming it .
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said there was no damage.
Russia鈥檚 Defense Ministry said Wednesday that its troops have taken control of another village in Ukraine鈥檚 northern Sumy region, on the border with Russia.
Putin announced on May 22 that Russian troops aim to create a buffer zone that might help prevent Ukrainian cross-border attacks. Since then, Russia claims it has taken control of nine Sumy villages.
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Arhirova reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. AP writers Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Chris Megerian and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington, Emma Burrows in London, Nicole Winfield in Rome, Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England, contributed reporting.
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Follow AP鈥檚 coverage of the war in Ukraine at
Hanna Arhirova And Michelle L. Price, The Associated Press
