Kremlin Stands Firm on Ukraine Objectives Despite Trump Talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin told his US counterpart, Donald Trump, that Moscow would not give up its objectives in Ukraine, dimming White House hopes for a cease-fire in a war now in its fourth year. During a July 3 phone call, Putin told Trump that “Russia will achieve its goals” in Ukraine and “will not abandon” them, according to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov. Russia is seeking to conquer Ukraine and bring the independent country back into Moscow's orbit. Trump told reporters before leaving for an event in Iowa that…