On Sunday, US President Donald Trump celebrated his 80th birthday with separate phone calls to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, against the backdrop of ongoing conflict in Ukraine and heightened diplomatic tensions involving the UK’s crackdown on a suspected Russian tanker.
Dual Birthday Calls
Trump spoke for around 30 minutes with Zelensky in a call covering the war, diplomacy, and peace talks. Zelensky also took the opportunity to wish Trump a happy birthday. Separately, Trump’s conversation with Putin focused on the Ukraine invasion and US-Russia diplomacy, including a memorandum of understanding being drafted with Iran, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
Ukraine Strikes Russian Targets
Fighting continued on the front line as Ukrainian forces targeted key Russian infrastructure. A Ukrainian drone strike hit a residential building in Oryol, southwestern Russia, killing one and wounding nine. In the Yaroslavl region, Ukrainian forces struck a fuel storage facility, setting it ablaze. Zelensky confirmed the attack on the oil facility was part of Ukraine’s campaign against Russian energy sites supporting Moscow’s war efforts.
Uk Detains Suspected Russian Tanker
Britain detained a tanker named Smyrtos in the English Channel, suspected of being part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” used to evade oil sanctions. The UK Ministry of Defence called it the first UK-led operation targeting this covert shipping network. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated the move sends a clear message to those aiding Putin’s invasion that they cannot operate in secret.
Us-russia-iran Talks Progress
Kremlin spokesman Ushakov reported that Trump and Putin discussed the near-finalisation of a US-Iran memorandum of understanding. The talks involve US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, expected to return to Russia soon to continue negotiations, signalling ongoing diplomatic engagement despite tensions over Ukraine.
