Dim Amor

President Donald Trump announced a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a post on his social media platform but deleted the publication shortly after. The conversation, which lasted about an hour and a quarter, took place against the backdrop of dramatic escalation between Russia and Ukraine following a daring Ukrainian operation that struck dozens of Russian fighter jets deep inside Russian territory.

The conversation between the leaders comes after retired General Keith Kellogg, Trump's envoy for promoting negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, claimed that the Ukrainian operation against military targets in Russia could lead to escalation. This position raises questions, as Russia conducts massive air strikes against Ukraine using the same bombers that were hit in the operation.

According to Trump's deleted post, the conversation was characterized as "good", and during it, Ukrainian deep strikes and "various other attacks that occurred from both sides" were discussed. Trump noted that Putin said "firmly that he would have to respond to the latest attack on Russian air bases". The American president's attitude toward Putin appears similar to that toward any other leader he speaks with by phone, though he seems careful not to irritate the Russian leader.

From the Russian side, Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign affairs advisor who was also present during the call, reported on the conversation. Ushakov maintained the familiar Russian approach aimed at presenting a picture of continuous ties between Moscow and Washington and attempting to prove that Russia is interested in advancing the diplomatic track.

According to Ushakov, the conversation began with a discussion of the situation around Ukraine, with Putin providing "detailed information about the results of the second round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul." He claimed that "Ukraine tried to disrupt these talks by carrying out targeted attacks on completely civilian targets and civilians on orders from the Kyiv regime".

In a dramatic statement, Ushakov said that "these attacks unequivocally constitute terrorist acts under international law, and in our opinion, the Kyiv regime has actually degraded into a terrorist organization". However, he noted that "the Russian side did not fall into the trap of provocations" and that the second round of talks took place in Istanbul. Ushakov claimed the talks were "productive" and that "the relevant memoranda changed hands and will be analyzed in the capitals – Moscow and Kyiv".

Regarding the Ukrainian attack on air bases in Russia, Ushakov noted that Trump again emphasized that the United States did not know about them in advance. This statement underscores American sensitivity to association with military operations deep inside Russian territory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented stunning data on the scope of Russian attacks. According to him, since the beginning of 2025, Russia has launched against Ukraine nearly 27,700 aerial bombs, 11,200 "Shahed" drones, 9,000 other attack drones, and over 700 missiles, including ballistic ones.

Zelensky added that "talks with Russia have not even led to a ceasefire, let alone reliable peace. This means that with every new attack, every new rejection of diplomacy, Russia shows the middle finger to the entire world." He emphasized that "Russia is the one that needs to seek peace. It's precisely them there in Moscow who need to feel that war has a price – a big price, and the highest for the aggressor".

The conversation between Trump and Putin took place three days after the dramatic operation dubbed "Spider Web". In this operation, the Ukrainian security service managed to strike dozens of Russian fighter jets and strategic bombers using 117 drones hidden in Russian trucks. These aircraft are used by Moscow to launch long-range missiles at targets inside Ukraine.

The operation was reportedly planned with great care over a year and a half and is apparently the boldest of Kyiv's surprise sabotage operations throughout the war. The action was executed by exploiting unsuspecting Russian truck drivers who thought they were going out on transport missions and were asked to stop near four Russian bases.

One of the bases hit was "Belaya" in Siberia, about 4,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, and another "Olenya" in the Arctic Circle, about 2,000 kilometers from the front. When the trucks stopped, their roofs opened, and from them, drones took off and continued to their targets. According to Kyiv, more than 40 fighter jets and bombers were hit, with damage estimated at $7 billion. Some of the bombers are Tu-22 and Tu-95 models whose production was stopped years ago and therefore cannot be replaced.

The drone operation came several hours after an explosion operation that caused the collapse of two bridges in western Russian regions bordering Ukraine. In the Bryansk region, debris fell on a railway, and a train that was just passing through collided with it. According to Russia, seven people were killed in the collision, and in the evening, Moscow updated that there were also 113 injured in the incident, including children. In the second collapse, of a bridge in the Kursk region, no fatalities were reported. Russia determined these were "terrorist acts" and attributes them to Kyiv.

Putin said the explosion operation proves that Ukraine does not want peace at all, and according to him, it was intended to disrupt the round of talks held between Kyiv and Moscow in Istanbul on Monday, the day after the explosions. "Who actually negotiates with people who put their trust in terror?", Putin asked.

Alongside discussions about Ukraine, the conversation between Trump and Putin also touched on the Iran issue. Trump warned Iran that "time is running out, we will need an absolute answer from it in a very short time!". He noted that Putin offered to help in talks between Washington and Tehran.

Trump's words come against the backdrop of pessimistic signals from Tehran regarding the chance of reaching a nuclear agreement. According to a Reuters report, Iran is preparing to respond negatively to the American proposal, and an Iranian diplomat said the proposal is a "non-starter". According to him, Washington did not compromise on the demand to stop uranium enrichment – the central point of contention in nuclear talks.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei sharply criticized the American proposal, even if he did not explicitly reject it. Khamenei said the American proposal focuses on the issue of Iran's right to enrich uranium and that it contradicts Iranian interests: "Who are you to tell Tehran whether we should have a nuclear program or not?". He declared that Tehran will not give up its uranium enrichment capability and that without it, the nuclear program would be worthless.

The conversation between Trump and Putin and the decision to delete the post about it attest to the complexity of relations between the two superpowers during this sensitive period. While Trump tries to navigate between the need to maintain diplomatic ties and domestic and international pressure, Putin continues to present a firm position aimed at transferring responsibility for the crisis to Ukraine and the West. The deletion of the post perhaps indicates the sensitivity of the subject and the desire to avoid unwanted interpretations at a time when diplomacy is trying to find its way between attacks and revenge.

Photos: Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump (Photo: Mandel Ngan, Maxim Shemetov / various sources / AFP)