Vladimir Putin sent U.S. President Donald Trump a congratulatory telegram on the 250th anniversary of American Independence Day, the Kremlin said on July 4. The text of the letter was published on the Kremlin's website for the first time — previously, the Russian presidential administration had not disclosed the content of such greetings, although Putin has sent them annually since 2017.
In the message, Putin addresses Trump as "dear Donald" and notes that the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence was "an important milestone in world history." The Russian president asserts that Russia at the time "unconditionally supported the North American colonists" in their struggle against British rule. Historically, however, the Russian Empire did not enter the war on the side of the colonies and did not recognize their statehood until after the conflict ended; Catherine the Great only refused to send troops to aid Britain and in 1780 initiated an armed neutrality that complicated the British blockade.
"I wish you, Donald, and your loved ones health, well-being and success, and all American citizens happiness and prosperity," the telegram reads. Putin also recalled that Russia and the United States were allies in two world wars and "together saved humanity from the horrors of Nazism." In recent years, Russian authorities have increasingly accompanied acknowledgments of the U.S. role in World War II with caveats, emphasizing that Lend-Lease was a "paid service" and that the USSR "would have won anyway" without allied help.
The Russian president said that Moscow and Washington, as the two largest nuclear powers, bear a "special responsibility" for global security. Restoring "constructive, equal and mutually beneficial" ties between the countries serves the interests of "the entire world community," he said.
Later, Putin and Trump held a telephone conversation, said Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian president. According to Ushakov, they discussed the U.S. leader's participation in the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara and the White House's readiness to help end the war in Ukraine. Ushakov specified that Putin shared with Trump his vision of the situation on the battlefield.
The same day, Trump also called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian leader said there was a "real prospect of ending this war" and stressed that "America's resolve" would be decisive. Zelensky also agreed to a personal meeting with Trump during the NATO summit next week and thanked him for the military and political assistance provided. "We extremely appreciate that America supports us in defending our independence," he said.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also joined the congratulations on the American national holiday. In a letter to Trump, he recalled the long-standing close ties between Germany and the United States, "which place responsibility on us and strengthen our unity within the NATO alliance." Steinmeier also noted that "in every democracy there is always a gap between high ideals and the reality of political life."