Russian President Vladimir Putin assured US President Donald Trump in a phone call on Tuesday that Moscow doesn't harbour aggressive intentions towards Europe, a senior Kremlin official said, after European officials expressed concern about Russian sabotage campaigns on their soil.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said meanwhile that US envoys who visited Kyiv presented some “very good, worthwhile ideas” for ending Russia's 4 1/2-year-old war, adding that he hopes to meet with Trump within two weeks.

But Russia remains determined to accomplish its military goals and it believes it is close to winning, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Ukrainian and Western observers believe that Moscow has been unable to make any significant progress on the front line.

The war could yet drag on for years as Russia reconstitutes its forces and its defence industry, said US Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby.

“We must be prepared for a protracted conflict and for Ukraine’s requirements to persist in the months and years ahead,” Colby told an online meeting of countries helping Ukraine.

US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff visited Moscow and Kyiv for separate talks with Putin and Zelenskyy over the weekend. The meetings appeared to produce no substantial breakthrough on ending the fighting, and both countries resumed their deadly air war after a weekend truce in their capitals for the American visitors.

The attacks killed at least five civilians and wounded 25 others in Kyiv, officials said, while officials from Russia reported three people killed and 13 wounded in areas it controls.

Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, said the hourlong conversation between Putin and Trump was “constructive and quite frank.”

Ushakov told reporters that “in view of the speculation about Russia’s alleged hostile intentions towards European countries, it was underlined that we don’t have any aggressive plans regarding Europe.”

He also said Putin told Trump about the combat situation in Ukraine and Russia’s plans to make battlefield gains and achieve its military goals.

Zelenskyy said he is counting on meeting with Trump around September 20, about the same time that the United Nations General Assembly is being held in New York. Putin isn't expected to attend.

The Ukrainian leader indicated he will press Trump to provide more Patriot air defence systems that Kyiv needs to counter Russia's ballistic missiles.

Ukraine needs 300 Patriot missiles from its partners’ stocks, 500 air-to-air interceptors and US$2 billion for more drones, UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting told the meeting of countries providing help.

Also on Tuesday, the European Commission approved a loan of 3.2 billion euros (US$3.7 billion) for Kyiv to purchase components for Patriot air defence systems, Ukraine’s Defence Ministry said on its Telegram channel. (AP)


Edited by Edmond Fong