Putin Says Trump Talks Could Help End Ukraine War

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on June 4, 2026, that proposals discussed with U.S. President Donald Trump could help end the war in Ukraine if Kyiv agreed to unspecified compromises. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin also said Russian forces were advancing daily and that Moscow needed to strengthen air defenses against Ukrainian drones.

Putin said Russia would honor compromises discussed with Trump at an August 2025 summit in Anchorage, but argued that Ukraine would need to agree as well for the conflict to conclude. His comments came in the fifth year of the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy published an open letter to Putin proposing a meeting aimed at ending the conflict, while warning that Ukraine would continue to resist if there were no agreement. Putin did not address the contents of the letter in detail in the remarks described.

Putin also sidestepped questions about his own political future.

Battlefield claims and territorial control

Putin said Russian forces had recently pushed Ukrainian troops out of nearly 2,500 square kilometers of territory. He said Russia had taken full control of the Luhansk People’s Republic and claimed control of more than 85% of the Donetsk People’s Republic and 80% of the Zaporizhzhia region, territories Russia annexed in 2022.

He acknowledged that Russia needed to improve air defenses to counter a growing threat from Ukrainian drones.

Views on momentum and leverage

Putin said manpower, industrial resources and willpower were on Russia’s side. Some Western and Ukrainian analysts, however, have said Russia’s advance has slowed.

Putin’s remarks pointed to a negotiating stance that links any end to fighting to Ukrainian acceptance of the compromises he said were discussed with Trump. Any next steps would likely hinge on whether there is movement toward direct talks between the two leaders or other channels for negotiations.