Trump says 'no progress' on ending war in Ukraine after call with Putin, Russia bombs Kyiv after

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday (Jul. 3) that a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin resulted in no progress on efforts towards ending the war in Ukraine.

Did not make any progress: Trump

"I did not make any progress with him at all," Trump told reporters, as quoted by The New York Times (NYT) and CNN.

The phone call between Trump and Putin reportedly lasted about an hour, during which they discussed a wide range of issues, including Iran.

This is the sixth known call between Trump and Putin since Trump returned to office in January.

Russia stressed the importance of resolving contentious matters regarding Iran and its nuclear program exclusively through diplomatic means, Aide to the President of Russia Yuri Ushakov told reporters.

On Ukraine, Putin said that Russia would "strive to achieve its goals, namely the elimination of the well-known root causes that led to the current state of affairs", according to Ushakov.

At the same time, Putin said that Russia will still seek a political, negotiated solution to the conflict, and is "willing to pursue negotiations", Ushakov said.

NYT reported that Western officials are sceptical whether Putin is serious about peace talks.

Russian strikes across Kyiv injured at least 14

Hours after the call between the two leaders, Russian strikes hit more than a dozen locations across Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, The Guardian and CNN reported.

The attack injured at least 14 people and damaged railway infrastructure and set fire throughout the city, Reuters reported.

The attack is the latest in a series of Russian air strikes on Kyiv, which have intensified in recent weeks.

One of the most high-profile losses for Moscow

On Wednesday (Jul. 2), a deputy commander of the Russian navy was killed near the frontline with Ukraine, The Guardian reported.

Mikhail Gudkov was killed in a Ukrainian missile attack in the western Kursk region, which borders Ukraine's Sumy region, BBC reported, citing unconfirmed reports from Russian and Ukrainian military-linked Telegram channels.

This is one of the most high-profile losses for Moscow since the Ukraine-Russia war started.

Top image via Saul Loeb, Pavel Bednyakov/AFP