Trump-Putin spoke for ‘nearly hour’ on ‘negotiated solution’ on Ukraine, but Russia won’t step back from its goals, senior Kremlin aide says
We are getting first lines from a senior Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov on the Trump-Putin call.
As per Reuters, he told reporters:
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The pair spoke for nearly an hour, stating their intention to “seek a negotiated solution” on Ukraine and Trump “raising issue of bringing Ukraine conflict to swift halt.”
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But Putin insisted that Russia “will achieve its goal of removing root issues that led to Ukraine conflict” and “will not step back from its goals.”
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Russia’s position is “that Ukraine peace talks are between Moscow and Kyiv”
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Putin and Trump did not talk about halting of some US weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
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They also had “a detailed discussion” on Iran and the Middle East.
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The leaders agreed they would continue discussions going forward.
Key events
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Macron says he wants EU-US deal ‘as soon as possible’
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Four people injured in stabbing in Finland
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Trump-Putin spoke for ‘nearly hour’ on ‘negotiated solution’ on Ukraine, but Russia won’t step back from its goals, senior Kremlin aide says
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‘We will see what we can do with the EU,’ US treasury secretary Bessent says
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Glovo suspends controversial bonus scheme for deliveries in high temperatures
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Designer dress goes missing from Bezos-Sánchez wedding
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More than 70 detained in Serbia in police crackdown on protesters
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Crete wildfire forces 1,500 to evacuate as Europe heatwave continues
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EU closing in on ‘framework’ trade deal with US to avoid Trump’s 50% tariffs
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Zelenskyy’s comments on US aid, Trump in Denmark – snap analysis
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‘Strenghten us, as you did before,’ Zelenskyy tells reporter asking what Denmark could do to help Ukraine
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‘Not sure they have a lot of common topics to talk,’ Zelenskyy says on Trump-Putin call
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We want Ukraine to be EU member, Zelenskyy reaffirms
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Zelenskyy confirms plans for call with Trump, says Ukraine counts on continuing US support
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‘Putin does not want peace, so we need to put pressure on him,’ EU’s von der Leyen says
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‘Deeply disappointed’ with Russia not engaging with Trump’s peace plans, EU’s Costa says
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Zelenskyy appears alongside EU leaders in Denmark
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Several people stabbed in Tanmere, Finnish police say
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‘Will be speaking to Putin,’ Trump confirms
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Russia’s Putin says he will talk with Trump later today
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EU’s von der Leyen’s line on US trade talks sets expectations for Šefčovič’s meeting in Washington – snap analysis
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Frederiksen’s language on Ukraine and migration a sign of Danish priorities – snap analysis
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Denmark’s Frederiksen throws her support behind Ukraine’s accession to EU
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EU plans to strike deal in principle with US before 9 July deadline, von der Leyen confirms
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US halt to military aid would be a serious setback for Ukraine and Europe, Frederiksen says
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‘Ready for deal’ with US, but ‘all instruments on table,’ EU’s von der Leyen says
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Denmark needs to steer Europe through one of most challenging times in history, Frederiksen says
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Zelenskyy hails new drone production deal with US company as he begins Denmark trip
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Ukraine’s Zelenskyy to speak with Trump on Friday on weapon deliveries pause
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Kremlin aid Yuri Ushakov also said that while Russia was open to continuing to speak with the US, any peace negotiations needed to occur between Moscow and Kyiv.
That comment comes amid some indications that Moscow is trying to avoid a trilateral format for any peace negotiations. The Russians asked American diplomats to leave the room during such a meeting in Istanbul in early June, Ukrainian officials have said.
Trump and Putin did not talk about a face-to-face meeting, Ushakov added.
On Iran, Yuri Ushakov said:
The Russian side emphasised the importance of resolving all disputes, disagreements and conflict situations exclusively by political and diplomatic means.
Trump last month sent US military bombers to strike three Iranian nuclear sites, in a move condemned by Moscow as unprovoked and illegal.
Here’s more detail on the call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump which, from the Russian side, suggests that Putin did not make any shift in Moscow’s position during the conversation with the US president.
As we reported earlier, a Kremlin aide said Moscow wants a negotiated end to the Ukraine war but will not step back from its original goals.
In the wide-ranging conversation, Trump “again raised the issue of an early end to military action” in Ukraine, Yuri Ushakov told reporters, adding:
Vladimir Putin, for his part, noted that we continue to seek a political and negotiated solution to the conflict.
Putin briefed Trump on the implementation of agreements reached between Russia and Ukraine last month to exchange prisoners-of-war and dead soldiers, Ushakov said, and told him that Moscow was ready to continue negotiations with Kyiv. He went on:
Our president also said that Russia will achieve the goals it has set: that is, the elimination of the well-known root causes that led to the current state of affairs, to the current acute confrontation, and Russia will not back down from these goals.
The phrase “root causes” is shorthand for the Kremlin’s argument that it was compelled to go to war in Ukraine to prevent the country from joining Nato and being used by the western alliance as a launch pad to attack Russia.
Jakub Krupa
We are still waiting to hear from Donald Trump on his call with Putin.
But be assured that we will bring you the US view on the phone call when we have it.
That’s all from me for today, but Lucy Campbell will guide you through the evening.
Macron says he wants EU-US deal ‘as soon as possible’
Separately, French president Emmanuel Macron said he wanted a EU-US trade deal “as soon as possible, with the lowest tariffs possible”, as a Washington-set deadline looms to reach an accord, AFP reported.
“The right deal for me is the deal that is struck as soon as possible, with the lowest tariffs possible, and that must be fair and firm,” Macron said.
His comments come as the EU’s trade chief, Maroš Šefčovič, is in Washington DC for talks with the US administration amid hopes that a framework deal can be struck ahead of the next week’s deadline to avoid punishing tariffs (17:27 and 17:59).
Four people injured in stabbing in Finland
We now have more details on the stabbing in Tampere, Finland (16:23, 17:43), with police confirming that four people were injured in the attack.
They added that there were no fatalities, and investigators believe there is no reason to suspect “a terrorist or racist motive.”
Trump-Putin spoke for ‘nearly hour’ on ‘negotiated solution’ on Ukraine, but Russia won’t step back from its goals, senior Kremlin aide says
We are getting first lines from a senior Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov on the Trump-Putin call.
As per Reuters, he told reporters:
-
The pair spoke for nearly an hour, stating their intention to “seek a negotiated solution” on Ukraine and Trump “raising issue of bringing Ukraine conflict to swift halt.”
-
But Putin insisted that Russia “will achieve its goal of removing root issues that led to Ukraine conflict” and “will not step back from its goals.”
-
Russia’s position is “that Ukraine peace talks are between Moscow and Kyiv”
-
Putin and Trump did not talk about halting of some US weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
-
They also had “a detailed discussion” on Iran and the Middle East.
-
The leaders agreed they would continue discussions going forward.
‘We will see what we can do with the EU,’ US treasury secretary Bessent says
We are still waiting to get any updates on the Trump-Putin call, but in the meantime the US secretary of treasury Scott Bessent offered a rather cryptic answer on the progress of talks with the EU saying “we will see what we can do,” Reuters reported.
As you know, EU’s trade chief Maroš Šefčovič is in Washington tonight, with the bloc hoping they could get a high-level deal in place to avoid 50% tariffs on all exports from next week (17:27).
Glovo suspends controversial bonus scheme for deliveries in high temperatures
Lorenzo Tondo
in Palermo
A day after the food delivery platform Glovo introduced financial bonuses for couriers working in high temperatures, the company announced on Thursday it was suspending the initiative following criticism from unions and politicians.
Glovo had offered a 2% bonus for deliveries made in temperatures between 32°C and 36°C, 4% between 36°C and 40°C, and 8% for temperatures above 40°C — a move that sparked a backlash in Italy.
Union leaders and politicians condemned the scheme, warning it risked turning “a health hazard into an economic incentive”, and insisted that “no compensation can justify working under extreme risk conditions”.
On Thursday, the platform said it had “decided to temporarily suspend nationwide the bonus system for deliveries carried out during the hottest hours of the day”.
Responding to the controversy, Glovo issued a statement:
“The bonus is not an incentive to work. Riders are fully free to choose.
The current collaboration model guarantees each rider maximum freedom to decide when and how to work, even in challenging weather conditions.
In this context, the so-called bonus during periods of extreme heat is intended as a compensatory measure and in no way represents an incentive to work. The bonus is activated automatically once certain temperature thresholds are exceeded.”
Jakub Krupa
I have earlier promised you I would keep an eye on the developments in Finland, where police reported that several people were stabbed near a shopping centre in Tampere.
The latest update from the emergency services is that they cordoned off the scene of the incident and are interviewing witnesses.
But the Finnish Broadcasting Company, of Yle, says there is still little clarity as to how many people were wounded in the attack and the extent of their injuries.
I will let you know if or when we know more.
Designer dress goes missing from Bezos-Sánchez wedding
Angela Giuffrida
in Rome
Lauren Sánchez packed 27 designer dresses for her wedding to the billionaire Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, in Venice last week, but left with only 26 after one went missing.
The couple, who are now honeymooning in Taormina, Sicily, were wed during a star-studded three-day celebration in the lagoon city.
They left Venice on Sunday, but mystery over the missing dress has generated chatter in Venice, with Corriere della Sera claiming that it was stolen, possibly by someone who evaded security and gatecrashed a party on the tiny island of San Giorgio, where the couple exchanged rings, on Friday.
The newspaper said the number of gatecrashers to the event was such that officers from the local unit of Italy’s anti-terrorism squad, Digos, were called to the island.
Sources familiar with the situation confirmed that a dress had gone missing but denied it was stolen. It is unclear where the dress disappeared and when. The couple lodged at the seven-star Aman hotel, where the bride’s wedding outfits were reportedly kept under close watch.
The sources stressed that no legal complaint about the missing dress had been made to police, with the expectation being that the garment would eventually “turn up”. They also denied the report that a dress caught fire and that the celebrations had been infiltrated by gatecrashers.
Jakub Krupa
… and on a slightly lighter note …
More than 70 detained in Serbia in police crackdown on protesters
Serbian police detained 79 protesters late on Wednesday in a crackdown on street demonstrators calling for a snap election and an end of the 12-year rule of the President Aleksandar Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party, Reuters reported.
Police and protesters clashed in the capital Belgrade and the cities of Novi Sad, Niš and Novi Pazar, the interior ministry said in the statement.
On Wednesday evening, police moved to remove students in front of the entrance of the Law Faculty in Belgrade, and briefly detained dozens, N1 TV reported.
On Thursday, the European Union strongly condemned “acts of hatred and violence” in Serbia and called for calm, AFP said.
“We strongly condemn all acts of hate and violence. The rights of peaceful demonstration, freedom of assembly and freedom of expression are to be upheld,” the EU delegation in Serbia posted on X.
The statement said, “police action must be proportionate and respect fundamental rights.”
Agencies are also noting that tennis superstar Novak Djoković pumped his arms when celebrating a win over Dan Evans at Wimbledon – a gesture that has become a symbol of the protests.
Crete wildfire forces 1,500 to evacuate as Europe heatwave continues
Jon Henley Europe correspondent and Angela Giuffrida in Rome
A wildfire fanned by gale-force winds has forced the evacuation of more than 1,500 people on the Greek island of Crete, officials have said, as large swathes of continental Europe baked in a punishing early summer heatwave linked to at least nine deaths.
About 230 firefighters, along with 46 vehicles and helicopters, were battling the blaze on Thursday after it broke out 24 hours earlier near Ierapetra on the south-east coast of the country’s largest island, threatening to engulf houses and hotels.
A fire brigade spokesperson, Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, said: “There are wind gusts in the area, some measuring 9 on the Beaufort scale, triggering rekindling and hindering firefighting efforts.” He added that four settlements had been evacuated.
Residents and tourists were taking shelter at an indoor stadium and some had left Crete by boat, authorities said. Local media reported some homes had been damaged. An estimated 5,000 more holidaymakers left south-east Crete independently.
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