Ukraine war briefing: Trump re... Note

Ukraine war briefing: Trump repositions himself as peacemaker in long call with Putin

Donald Trump spoke with Vladimir Putin, offering to help find a solution to the Ukraine war. Trump also had a "very good" call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who sees a real prospect for ending the war with American support. Both leaders agreed to continue discussions at the upcoming Nato summit in Turkey. Russia, however, accused Kyiv and European allies of escalating the conflict. Meanwhile, Ukraine denied Russia's claim of capturing the strategic city of Kostyantynivka in Donetsk. Ukrainian officials stated the city remains under their control, with fighting ongoing. Russia claims its troops occupy all parts of Kostyantynivka, a town Moscow has sought for months. Ukraine also claims it struck the Kronstadt naval base in St Petersburg. Russia reported Ukrainian drones hit an oil terminal and port near Finland, and fell on the Peterhof complex. Moscow vowed retaliation, stating it had downed nearly 500 Ukrainian drones. Air defense in St Petersburg reportedly shot down 72 drones. Moscow also reported drone attacks on the Russian capital and border regions, resulting in casualties and infrastructure damage.