(Al Jazeera Media Network) US President Donald Trump has had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which the White House describes as “positive”.
The call was made shortly after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed there was an attempted attack on Putin’s residence in Novgorod, which top Ukrainian officials deny. Russia says it will have to re-examine its negotiating position in light of the attack.
Meanwhile, the Russian army says its troops have captured Dibrova in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
One person has been killed in Russian shelling of the city of Orikhiv in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region, according to Governor Ivan Fedorov.
The developments come after Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed optimism that a peace deal is close following their talks in Florida, even as the thorny issue of territory remains outstanding.
