Trump holds separate calls with Putin and Zelenskyy Morning Report .

Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held separate phone calls with US President Donald Trump on Saturday touching on the war in Ukraine and upcoming diplomatic arrangements. President Zelensky said on Saturday that he discussed the latest battlefield developments and realistic prospects for a ceasefire during his phone call with Donald Trump on US Independence Day. He added that they have agreed to continue discussions at the NATO summit in Ankara, which begins on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Trump also reportedly held talks with Vladimir Putin. According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, Putin's conversation with Trump was pragmatic and highly constructive. The aide said that regarding Ukraine, Trump reaffirmed his willingness to push for an early end to military operations and to seek a peaceful resolution. Recent report by the New York Times suggests US Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner remain involved in the Russia-Ukraine peace process despite recent focus on Iran, although are reportedly only willing to travel to Kiev or Moscow if this could bring tangible results and not, according to the article, for a photo op. The celebrations for the United States' 250th birthday are coming to a close. Our correspondent Alex Scudia is in the American capital to witness this historic event. Well, the 4th of July celebrations have just wrapped up. We just saw an enormous fireworks display around that Washington monument. You see people now streaming out. They have been here all day in their thousands. It wasn't without some challenges. The absolutely punishing heat throughout the day making it challenging for some visitors. And now, as you can see, the heavens have opened. No lack of excitement here. A lot of people cheering USA, USA singing along to the music. We also heard, of course, from President Trump, who marked this occasion, making a speech in front of hundreds of thousands of people clearly gathered here despite the rain, despite the heat. Here's a 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Nothing like it. For two and a half centuries, our American republic has stood as the crowning achievement of human history. This country is the home of freedom. This is the land of liberty. And this is a flag that's the banner of the most extraordinary, most exceptional, most incredible nation ever to exist on the face of the earth. And we're doing better now than we've ever done before. So as the United States marks 250 years since that Declaration of Independence, of course, with the big fireworks display, an incredible display of military power with the flyovers we've seen in the last few hours over here in Washington, D.C. It has been a moment in history for these United States looking back at 250 years of their history, but also perhaps some soul-searching about the next few years and what the next few years for the United States and its allies may look like. Of course, not so much the question here, people here in a party mood as America marks its 250th birthday in Washington, D.C. I'm Alex Kavier for TVP World. Russian intelligence services are preparing to release falsified historical documents concerning the World War II Volhynia massacre in an effort to further damage Polish-Ukrainian relations. This is according to Andrei Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation. Historical disputes over the Volhynia massacre, which saw Ukrainian nationalists exterminate up to 100,000 Poles between 1943 and 1945, have recently reignited following a row over According to Kovalenko, Moscow plans to release the documents on Sunday, and Russian media networks have been tasked with amplifying the narrative to exploit historical grievances. The disinformation operation is reportedly being overseen by Russian Federal Security Service Director Alexander Bortnikov. Kovalenko's remark comes at a time of strained Warsaw cave relationship following weeks-long diplomatic row over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to rename a military unit after World War II-era Ukrainian insurgents accused of massacring Poles. In response, Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest state decoration, prompting several Ukrainian public figures to renounce the awards they had received from the Polish state. Today is the second day of the Federal Convention of the Right-Wing Alternative for Germany party. On the first day, the party's executive board was elected. Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla will continue to lead the party for another two-year term. The decision was rubber-stamped at the annual conference, with an estimated 20,000 protesters hitting the streets outside to voice their disapproval over the party's controversial line. Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany, or AFD, is holding a party conference this weekend here in Erfurt. Around 600 party members gathered here to elect a new national leadership, as the party's executive board must be renewed every two years under its own rules. With no opposing candidates standing against them, delegates re-elected Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla as the party's leaders for another two-year term. Weidel received around 81 percent of the vote, while Chrupalla was backed by 70 percent of delegates. I say to the opposition parties who are fueling this hatred and incitement, and to the troublemakers out there on our doorstep, you won't bring us down. On the contrary, we are constantly growing and getting stronger. The AFD campaigns on a nationalist and anti-immigration platform is highly critical of the European Union and calls for major changes to Germany's migration, security and foreign policies. Several AFD politicians recently travelled to the Economic Forum in St. Petersburg in Russia. And at the end of last year, party co-leader Tino Chrupalla also said he sees no current threat to Germany from Russia, while suggesting that Poland's interests could differ from Germany's in ways that might pose a security concern. But it is not only the party conference drawing attention here in Erfurt today. Demonstrators have travelled from across Germany to take part in protests throughout the city. Numerous events and rallies are being held to send a message against both the AFD and its national party conference. Thousands of police officers were deployed across the city, while some local businesses remained closed as a precaution. Despite concerns over possible road blockages, the protests were largely peaceful. We are from Frankfurt, and we want to stand up for an open and free society. There is frustration with the current political party situation. They are mainly against something but not for any concrete values, so many people simply don't look into what the parties stand for. Despite the controversies, the AFD continues to gain support. National opinion polls currently put the party at around 28%, ahead of the CDU, the party of Friedrich Merz. And we will govern, first at a regional level, then at the federal level. But it is also clear that our predecessors will try to leave us in shambles, and people will put obstacles in our way wherever they can. We must all be prepared for that. And with regional elections coming up in September, the AFD is polling around 40% in Saxony-Anhalt. For TVP World, Karl-Baptiste. Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Tirana, Albania, on Saturday, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Adi Rama's government. The demonstration was a part of what activists called the Flamingo Revolution, a series of protests which began over a planned luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner's son-in-law, President Donald Trump, but have since broadened into a movement against corruption and the entire political system. We do not trust them anymore, as a people, all of us. We do not trust our government anymore. We cannot have a discussion with this government by having the same laws or the same people governing us for the last 36 years. We need a new government. The corruption is at the head of the table. Everything in Albania can be reasoned, everything can be possible through corruption, and we don't want that anymore. It's been too long with this kind of political culture, where the Prime Minister and the political parties of this country think they can do anything. There are no barriers to what they think is acceptable in politics. We want a better future. We want a future when foreigners cannot come and buy our country. We want to live as Europeans. We want to live with dignity. Thousands of Iranians gathered in Tehran to pay their final respects to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, whose state funeral is underway. His death has intensified anti-Western sentiment following this year's American-Israeli military strikes against Tehran, prompted by the regime's attempts at nuclear proliferation and its repeated violations of human rights at home, strikes which ultimately have failed to bring about regime change in Iran. As the United States celebrates its 250th Independence Day, mourners across Iran are participating in funeral processions for their Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the start of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran. Following a private lying-in state attended by senior Iranian officials and foreign dignitaries, Khamenei's coffin, along with those of several family members killed in the same strike, was moved outdoors for mourners to pay their respects. Thousands of people braved the summer heat in the courtyard of the Grand Masala in Tehran to pay homage to their late spiritual leader, many seeing him as a martyr and vowing vengeance. Avenging our leader does not mean personally killing Trump or Netanyahu. Their standing in the world must be broken, and the United States must be driven out of the Middle East. Khamenei's coffin will remain in the Masala until Sunday evening. His body is expected to be taken to Qom, Najaf and Karbala, the great Shiite centers of Iran and Iraq, before being laid to rest on Thursday in Mashhad, home to the country's holiest pilgrim shrine. Poland has voiced reservations over the approval of further military aid for war-torn Ukraine ahead of the major NATO summit scheduled to take place in Turkey, saying its special role on the alliance's eastern flank forces it to carefully consider further commitments. The comments came as Poland and Ukraine remain locked in an intense row over World War II history, which has soured mutual relations between the two countries. Our chief Poland correspondent Kazimierz Wysiak explains. This is Ankara, the capital of Turkey, and in just three days this city will host NATO leaders for the alliance's annual summit. Ukraine will once again be a special guest, and President Zelensky will be hoping for a new pledge of military aid from his allies. But it seems Poland, one of Kiev's staunchest allies, won't be contributing. I would like to appeal to the entire delegation to exercise caution when making any declarations regarding further financial support from Poland. Not because I believe that Ukraine doesn't need financial support. I believe that Poland has very significant responsibilities regarding the European Union's entire eastern border, and everyone must take this into account. Tusk's appeal for caution comes at a time of strained relations with Kiev over a historical dispute and the naming of a unit in Ukraine after the heroes of the UPA, a World War II-era insurgent army known in Poland for mass killings of Polish civilians. We expect Ukraine to take the first step following President Zelensky's unfortunate decision. It would be good to hear a very clear signal from Kiev. They are trying, but we would like to still hear this clearly and unequivocally. The dispute recently escalated after Polish President Karol Nawrocki had stripped Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest civilian distinction. Warsaw and Kiev are now engaged in a song and dance to try and repair their relations, with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sebiha meeting with his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski in the capital Warsaw on Friday. I proposed a package of anti-crisis steps. This includes initiating consultations between our Ministries of Foreign Affairs, organizing a meeting of World War II expert historians, and reaching out to the religious leaders of both nations to leverage their authority in our bilateral dialogue. But while Poland is busy butting heads over history with Ukraine, other NATO members will be heading to Ankara with a different concern. What will be the mood of US President Donald Trump? If his latest social media posts are anything to go by, the Europeans are in for another lecture. The United States spends more money on NATO than any other country, by far, to protect them without getting any benefit from so doing. Ridiculous. The way that the message is being relayed under Donald Trump is far more aggressive than it has been until now. And it's also worth noting that the Europeans have been tremendously increasing their defense spending throughout the last four years since the full-scale invasion. The summit in Ankara also comes as Ukraine has been especially effective at hitting oil and gas refineries in Russia over the past several weeks. Speaking exclusively to TVP World, former US Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg pointed to a real shift in momentum in the war. I really do think there's been a shift. And for the first time since 2023, you see the Ukrainians really start to develop an advantage over the Russians. And you see that with their offensive strikes, deep strikes. You see the effect they're having on Crimea as well. President Zelensky will now hope he can carry that momentum to Ankara as well, even if Poland doesn't contribute to any new financial pledges at this particular NATO summit. That's all for now. Thank you for watching, but please stay with us here on TVP World as World Talks is coming up next.