President Donald Trump held a scheduled phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday morning, just two days after the Pentagon confirmed it was suspending shipments of air defense missiles and other munitions to Ukraine due to concerns over depleted U.S. stockpiles.
"Will be speaking to President Putin of Russia at 10:00 A.M. Thank you!" Trump posted on Truth Social shortly before the conversation began. The nature of the discussion was not immediately disclosed by the White House, though the call follows a series of prior contacts between the two leaders in recent months amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The decision to pause weapons transfers was confirmed earlier this week following a Department of Defense review. A U.S. official cited low inventory levels as the reason behind the suspension, which drew criticism from congressional Democrats and Ukraine supporters in Europe.
Thursday's phone call comes as Trump intensifies efforts to reposition his foreign policy agenda ahead of the November election. He has consistently expressed frustration with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, telling reporters last month, "Sometimes you see two young children fighting like crazy... Sometimes you're better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart."
The president plans to speak with Zelensky on Friday, according to administration officials.
Trump has repeatedly claimed he could end the war "within 24 hours," though he later acknowledged the statement was meant sarcastically. Despite his campaign rhetoric, he has struggled to produce tangible progress toward a cease-fire, although the administration recently helped broker a truce between Israel and Iran following airstrikes on Tehran's nuclear infrastructure.
The U.S. has provided over $70 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022. The abrupt halt in missile transfers, particularly those related to air defense, raised alarm in Kyiv as Russian attacks continue on key Ukrainian infrastructure.
