Sign up HERE to our DC Insider newsletter - your guide to what's rocking Washington, rattling the White House and setting tongues wagging on the HillSee more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy JON MICHAEL RAASCH, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT Published: 21:47 BST, 8 September 2026 | Updated: 21:47 BST, 8 September 2026
Russia does not have hostile intentions to invade Europe, Russian President Vladimir Putin told President Donald Trump on a phone call, according to the Kremlin. Putin and Trump spoke for an hour on Tuesday, according to Kremlin officials who briefed the press on the contents of the call. It came after Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner capped visits to Moscow and Kyiv to advocate for a swift end to the war in Ukraine, but the pair came back empty-handed.'The conversation focused on the Ukrainian settlement. Donald Trump clearly expressed the desirability of a swift end to the conflict, which would immediately open up impressive and far-reaching prospects for a full restoration of US-Russian relations,' said Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov.Ushakov also reiterated that despite reports indicating Russia was preparing to attack an unnamed European NATO ally, Putin has no plans to attack. 'Given the speculation about Russia’s alleged hostile intentions against European states, it was emphasized that we harbor no thought of aggressive plans against Europe.' Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov, shown above speaking with Jared Kushner, told reporters that Trump reiterated his desire for a swift end to the Ukraine-Russia war during a Tuesday phone call between the pair of leaders Ushakov said that Trump reiterated that the US and Russia have a lot to gain economically if the war were to end soon Putin reaffirmed to Trump on the call that Russia does not have intentions to invade any NATO ally countries, Ushakov saidPutin ordered a temporary pause in targeting Kyiv so that Witkoff and Kushner could safely conduct peace negotiations after their stint in Moscow. Ukraine also reduced its strikes during the trip. While the White House has not offered a readout of the call between Trump and Putin, it did praise the efforts of Witkoff and Kushner, touting the creation of 'substantive plans for next steps,' though neither side announced a breakthrough. Their outreach came just weeks after CIA Director John Ratcliffe secretly flew to Russia to meet with his intelligence counterparts. Ratcliffe reportedly warned the Russian officials against attacking any NATO partners after classified intelligence reports allegedly indicated Moscow was preparing to do so. Trump called the CIA Director's visit a 'semi-routine' check-up when he was asked about the clandestine meeting after online sleuths tracked Ratcliffe's government plane's trip to Russia. According to Putin's aide, Trump relayed during Tuesday's call that Russia and US relations would be dramatically repaired with the imminent ending of the war. Firefighters deal with the aftermath of a massive Russian missile and drone attack on September 8, 2026 in Kyiv, Ukraine Already, 120,000 to 150,000 Ukrainian soldiers and 450,000 Russian soldiers are estimated to have died during the conflict. Above, a new unit of Ukrainian recruits is pictured before their deployment to the front lines What comes next in the four and a half year war remains unclear, though Ushakov said the presidents would speak again as needed. Already 120,000 to 150,000 Ukrainian soldiers and 450,000 Russian soldiers are estimated to have died during the conflict. When accounting for those injured or missing, casualties skyrocket to around 1.6 million for Russia and between 525,000 and 625,000 for Ukraine. The US mediated negotiation between Russia and Ukraine have stalled in recent months as Trump searches for a way to end that conflict in addition to the one in the Middle East. Russia has demanded territorial concessions from Ukraine, mainly in the contested Donbas region on Ukraine's eastern border, but Kyiv has largely rejected those demands. While both sides have left the door cracked for negotiations, there are no scheduled talks between them or with US mediators. The White House did not respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment.
