The Presidents of Russia and the United States spoke again by telephone on Dec. 29, so that U.S. President Donald Trump and his team could brief Russian President Vladimir Putin on their discussions with Ukraine’s acting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump had told Putin that he would brief him, when the two spoke before Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy.
Both sides reported their satisfaction with their Dec. 29 call. President Trump told reporters it was a “very good talk … very productive.” Russian Presidential aide Yury Ushakov reported in his more detailed statement on the call that “both presidents, in a very friendly manner, agreed to maintain dialogue onwards.”
Before speaking of the call, Ushakov pointed out that in 2025, “President Vladimir Putin held 17 contacts with U.S. representatives. This includes a visit to Alaska, ten telephone conversations with Donald Trump, and six meetings with his special envoys. What does this mean?” he asked. “You can draw your own conclusions.”
In the call itself, Ushakov reported that as the Americans told it, in their meeting with Zelenskyy, “the U.S. side took an assertive stance in promoting the idea that Kiev needs to take real steps towards the final settlement of the conflict instead of using demands for a temporary ceasefire as cover. Zelenskyy was advised to not even try to secure a respite for his armed forces but instead focus on achieving a comprehensive agreement that would lead to the actual end to the armed conflict.”
He added that Trump informed Putin “about certain results achieved by Zelenskyy’s team precisely in this direction, but which nevertheless, in our assessment, still leave the Kiev authorities room for various interpretations in order to evade fulfilment of their commitments.”
Ukraine’s Dec. 28 attack on Putin’s residence was raised. Putin informed Trump of the fact “that practically immediately after what the U.S. side considers a successful round of talks at Mar-a-Lago, the Kiev regime carried out a terrorist attack involving a barrage of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles … on the state residence of the President of Russia.” Ushakov said “the U.S. President was shocked by this information, literally outraged.” He said that he could not even imagine such irrational actions. And, as was stated, “this will undoubtedly affect the approaches of the United States” to working with Zelenskyy, “to whom the [Trump] administration, as Donald Trump himself said, did not, thank God, give Tomahawks.”
President Trump himself told reporters in the afternoon on Dec. 29, that he was “very angry” to hear about the strike. “I don’t like it…. It’s not good.” He added: ‘Don’t forget that I stopped the Tomahawks.” To carry out an offensive is one thing, but you can’t attack the President’s home at this “delicate period of time,” Trump asserted.
Ushakov, in completing his report on the call, emphasized that “the Russian side intends to continue close and productive work with its U.S. partners in searching for ways to achieve peace. However, naturally, with regard to a number of agreements reached at the previous stage and the newly outlined solutions, Russia’s position will be revised. This was stated very clearly, and the Americans should treat this with understanding.”
