Key Points – Following Ukraine’s recent devastating drone strikes on Russian airbases and an attack on the Kerch Bridge, US President Donald Trump revealed that a June 4th phone call with Vladimir Putin indicated no immediate prospect for peace.
-According to Trump, Putin stated he “will have to respond” to the Ukrainian attacks, making negotiations difficult at this stage.
-The conversation also covered Iran’s nuclear program, with Putin reportedly offering to participate in discussions and potentially help secure a rapid conclusion.
-This development presents Trump with a complex dilemma: whether to pressure Russia over Ukraine or prioritize potential Russian cooperation on the Iran nuclear issue.
Trump Calls Putin: No Peace In Sight, Putin Has Score to Settle
Just as Ukraine appeared willing to make concessions to Russia in exchange for a peace deal and new rounds of negotiations, President Donald Trump revealed on June 4 that Russia has no immediate plans to end the war.
On Wednesday, Trump confirmed that he had spoken to the Russian president for approximately 75 minutes, marking their second call in recent weeks.
The call came after Ukraine’s dramatic drone strikes on Russian airfields, causing damage to dozens of advanced Russian bombers.
Trump disclosed the conversation on Truth Social in a post that has since been deleted. In it, the president said that while he had a “good conversation,” it was not one that would “lead to immediate peace.”
The Ukrainian strike, which targeted Russia’s most prized military jets, was one of Ukraine’s most surprising operations since the war. It was quickly followed up by another attack on the Kerch Bridge that connects Crimea to mainland Russia.
President Trump also confirmed that during the call, the Russian president felt compelled to respond to recent Ukrainian strikes, making negotiations impossible at this stage.
“President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields,” Trump said.
Putin Has A Score to Settle on Drone Strike
The Russian president’s comments to President Trump should be expected.
Putin’s army has endured almost one million casualties so far, proving that Moscow is determined to achieve success in Ukraine at virtually any cost.
Appearing to cave at this stage, immediately following devastating Ukrainian attacks, would make it more difficult for the Russian leader to present a peace deal as a victory to his citizens.
For Putin to accept a deal, not only will he first need to conduct devastating strikes on Ukraine – which now seem all but certain – but he’ll also need to ensure Ukraine concedes to virtually all of his demands.
The drone assault, part of a covert operation that took 18 months to plan, marked a huge blow to Russia’s strategic air capabilities. Video from the Ukrainian side showed multiple planes ablaze following the strikes, which hit long-range and nuclear-capable bombers that have played a vital role in Moscow’s aerial campaigns over Ukraine.
Before speaking to Trump, Putin held a televised videoconference with Russian officials in which he questioned whether ceasefire negotiations or summits were viable following the strikes. The meeting aired on Ukrainian TV.
The news comes after ceasefire talks between Ukrainian and Russian negotiations resumed in Istanbul this week, though they once again concluded without a breakthrough. Ukrainian negotiators demanded an unconditional ceasefire, backed by the United States, while Russian negotiators pushed for temporary ceasefires limited to certain regions on the front line.
Putin has long argued that a full and unconditional ceasefire would give Ukraine time to regather and regroup, and believes temporary and conditional ceasefires would avoid giving Kyiv an advantage.
Putin’s Trump Card Revealed: Iran Nuclear Deal?
Trump also confirmed that he and Putin discussed Iran’s nuclear program in addition to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Trump said that the two leaders were aligned in opposing Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons.
“We also discussed Iran, and the fact that time is running out on Iran’s decision pertaining to nuclear weapons, which must be made quickly!” Trump said.
The U.S. president added that Putin “suggested that he will participate in the discussions with Iran and that he could, perhaps, be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion.”
While it’s still early days, the comments by the Russian leader could well help President Trump decide his next moves. Slapping Russia with new sanctions and taking other measures to influence Putin to make peace in Ukraine may well work to some extent, but could risk losing Putin’s support against Iran. If Putin proves influential in Iran negotiations, that may give him the leverage to force Trump to make a difficult choice: withdraw support from Ukraine and allow Russia to claim the contested territories, or risk a nuclear Iran.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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waco
June 4, 2025 at 3:09 pm
Putin has already conveyed his intentions to avenge the drone strikes in a phone conversation with donald trump on wednesday 4 june 2025.
Trump himself revealed that.
But will putin actually carry out his plan or plans.
Putin appears to be very unsure of himself these days.
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