It was the two leaders’ first call since 2022, and the Russian president’s first with any major European leader since last year.

French President Emmanuel Macron and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have spoken on the phone for the first time in more than two and a half years. Following the more than two-hour conversation between the two,

President Donald Trump conceded that ending the war between Russia and Ukraine is much harder than he originally thought.

This week’s NATO summit isn’t about the U.S. strikes on Iran, but Iran will be a topic because of its drone supplies to Russia, said alliance Secretary-General Mark Rutte. NATO leaders meet in The Hague on Tuesday to approve big spending increases.

The plan, which was announced at a June 25 summit in The Hague, Netherlands, earmarks 3.5% for core defense needs and allows contributions to Ukraine’s defense to count toward the total. NATO leaders reaffirmed support for Kyiv but avoided directly condemning Russia’s invasion,