President Vladimir Putin spoke to the leaders of Belarus and Kazakhstan on Sunday to update them on the summit with U.S. President Donald Trump which the Kremlin has cast as a potentially significant stepping stone towards peace in Ukraine.

President Trump said he spoke to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on his way to the summit in Alaska to thank him for recently releasing prisoners. "The purpose of the call was to thank him for the release of 16 prisoners,

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko discussed regional issues in a phone call. The conversation focused on the aftermath of recent talks in Alaska and included detailed discussions about the Russia-US summit results,