Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump held a prolonged name Saturday to debate the escalating situation in the Middle East and Russia’s warfare in Ukraine.
Trump in a posting on his Fact Social platform stated they spent the majority of their dialog centered on Israel’s ongoing blistering assaults aimed toward decapitating Iran’s nuclear program and Iran’s retaliatory strikes. However Trump stated that he additionally pressed Putin to finish Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“He feels, as do I, this warfare in Israel-Iran ought to finish, to which I defined, his warfare must also finish,” stated Trump, who added the dialog went about an hour.
Putin international affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov stated Putin briefed Trump on his current talks with the leaders of Iran and Israel and reiterated Russia’s proposal to hunt mutually acceptable options on the Iranian nuclear challenge.
“Vladimir Putin, having condemned the navy operation towards Iran, expressed critical concern in regards to the doable escalation of the battle,” Ushakov instructed reporters. He added that Putin raised issues that escalating battle between Israel and Iran threatened “unpredictable penalties for your complete scenario within the Center East.”
Putin additionally emphasised Russia’s readiness to hold out doable mediation efforts, and famous that Russia had proposed steps “aimed toward discovering mutually acceptable agreements” throughout U.S.-Iran negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program.
The Russia-Iran relationship has deepened since Putin launched a warfare on Ukraine in February 2022, with Tehran offering Moscow with drones, ballistic missiles, and different assist, according to U.S. intelligence findings.
“Russia’s principled strategy and curiosity within the settlement stay unchanged,” Ushakov stated.
Trump described the regional scenario as “very alarming,” Ushakov stated, however acknowledged the “effectiveness” of Israel’s strikes on targets in Iran.
The leaders didn’t rule out a doable return to negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program, based on Ushakov.
Trump’s particular envoy Steve Witkoff had been set to journey on Sunday to Oman for a sixth spherical of talks with Iranian officers aimed toward curbing Tehran’s nuclear program — a gathering that was set earlier than Israel launched strikes on Friday. However Oman’s international minister, Badr al-Busaidi, stated on Saturday that the assembly wouldn’t happen as deliberate.
Putin and Trump additionally mentioned the continued alternate of warfare prisoners between Russia and Ukraine. The 2 sides traded extra prisoners on Saturday below an association brokered throughout talks between the 2 sides in Istanbul earlier this month.
“Our president famous that an alternate of prisoners of warfare is going down, together with critically wounded and prisoners of warfare below 25 years of age,” Ushakov stated, together with expressing readiness to proceed negotiations with the Ukrainians.
Trump stated Putin additionally wished him “a Comfortable Birthday.” The U.S. chief turned 79 on Saturday.
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Related Press author Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.
