Story perspectives

Trump-Putin Birthday Call Friendly; US Envoys Resume Peace Talks

6/14/2026

Summary

Story summary

Kremlin called President Donald Trump’s birthday call with Russian President Vladimir Putin “friendly and frank.”
U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Russia to resume Ukraine-war peace talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he congratulated President Donald Trump on his 80th birthday and discussed peace steps.
Both leaders will attend the G-7 summit in France beginning June 15, where the Ukraine war is an agenda item.

History

Historical Context

After the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine housed roughly 1,700 nuclear warheads—about one-third of the former Soviet stock. On 5 December 1994 the United States, United Kingdom and Russia signed the Budapest Memorandum, promising to respect Ukraine’s borders in exchange for dismantling the arsenal. Today, Trump’s call with Putin and upcoming G-7 talks revive those 1994 security assurances.

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Story summary

Kremlin called President Donald Trump’s birthday call with Russian President Vladimir Putin “friendly and frank.”
U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Russia to resume Ukraine-war peace talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he congratulated President Donald Trump on his 80th birthday and discussed peace steps.
Both leaders will attend the G-7 summit in France beginning June 15, where the Ukraine war is an agenda item.

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