Putin tells Trump he will not back down from goals in Ukraine, Kremlin says

MOSCOW, July 3 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call on Thursday that Moscow will not step back from its goals in Ukraine but that it is still interested in a negotiated settlement to the conflict, a Kremlin aide said.

In a wide-ranging conversation, Trump raised the issue of bringing about a swift end to the war, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.

Putin said Russia was ready to keep negotiating but that Moscow remained focused on removing what it calls the "root causes" of the conflict, now well into its fourth year.