Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will hold their sixth telephone conversation of 2025 this Thursday at 10 a.m. EDT, marking a renewed personal diplomatic channel amid significant shifts in U.S. foreign policy.
At a Glance
- Trump and Putin are set to speak in their sixth call of the year this Thursday at 10 a.m. EDT.
- The Pentagon has paused shipments of advanced air-defense and precision-guided artillery to Ukraine.
- Russia views the pause as a diplomatic win, praising the move.
- The call is expected to address Ukraine and Iran.
- Western leaders are watching for signs of a strategic pivot in U.S.–Russia relations.
Sixth Call Comes Amid U.S. Policy Shift
President Trump will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday morning, their sixth recorded exchange since Trump returned to office. The conversation is expected to cover Ukraine and Iran, although the White House has not issued an official agenda. European officials are alarmed by the frequency of the calls, warning that a backchannel diplomacy effort could be replacing formal engagement with U.S. allies.
Watch a report: Putin and Trump Discuss Ukraine & Iran
The timing of the call is notable. Just days earlier, the Pentagon confirmed that it would pause key arms shipments to Ukraine, including advanced interceptor systems and GPS-guided shells, pending a reassessment of U.S. inventory and strategic needs. Russian officials welcomed the decision as a “constructive move” and called the upcoming call “an opportunity to stabilize the region through dialogue.”
Reset or Retreat?
While U.S. defense sources insist the weapons freeze is temporary, the move has sent shockwaves through Kyiv. Ukrainian military leaders fear that pausing the supply of HIMARS and Patriot munitions could significantly undermine front-line resilience. With Russia preparing new offensives in the Donbas region, Ukraine’s top generals are urging Washington to reverse course before the impact is felt on the battlefield.
Putin, meanwhile, has not limited his outreach to Trump. In the last month, he has restarted diplomatic dialogue with European leaders including Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz, positioning Russia as a central power broker in discussions over Iran’s nuclear ambitions and regional security guarantees. These efforts are being described by some analysts as part of a wider campaign to exploit Western divisions and reestablish Moscow’s global influence.
Shadow Diplomacy Raises Alarms
Critics in Washington and Brussels warn that Trump’s private diplomacy risks enabling Putin’s long-standing strategy of bilateral manipulation. The decision to hold multiple calls—without readouts, transcripts, or clear policy outcomes—has prompted renewed scrutiny from intelligence and foreign affairs committees. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have demanded oversight of the administration’s next moves in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
The Trump administration has not commented on whether this call will produce a formal agreement, but insiders suggest it may pave the way for broader negotiations involving Ukraine’s ceasefire lines and a potential arms-control framework with Iran. If confirmed, it would mark a dramatic shift in how the U.S. pursues its interests in conflict zones where both Russia and Iran hold sway.
The outcome of this sixth call may not be immediately visible—but the diplomatic tremors are already being felt across Europe’s capitals and within the war rooms of Ukraine.
