US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a lengthy call on Saturday to discuss the escalating situation in the Middle East and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Trump in a post on his Truth Social platform said they spent the bulk of their conversation focused on Israel’s ongoing blistering attacks aimed at decapitating Iran’s nuclear program and Iran’s retaliatory strikes, adding that he also pressed Putin to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end,” said Trump, who added the conversation went about an hour.
Photo: Sputnik via AP
Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said Putin briefed Trump on his recent talks with the leaders of Iran and Israel, and reiterated Russia’s proposal to seek mutually acceptable solutions on the Iranian nuclear issue.
“Vladimir Putin, having condemned the military operation against Iran, expressed serious concern about the possible escalation of the conflict,” Ushakov told reporters.
He added that Putin raised concerns that escalating conflict between Israel and Iran threatened “unpredictable consequences for the entire situation in the Middle East.”
Putin also emphasized Russia’s readiness to carry out possible mediation efforts, and said that Russia had proposed steps “aimed at finding mutually acceptable agreements” during US-Iran negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program.
The Russia-Iran relationship has deepened since Putin launched a war on Ukraine in February 2022, with Tehran providing Moscow with drones, ballistic missiles and other support, according to US intelligence findings.
“Russia’s principled approach and interest in the settlement remain unchanged,” Ushakov said.
Trump described the regional situation as “very alarming,” Ushakov said.
The leaders did not rule out a possible return to negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program, he said.
Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff was to travel yesterday to Oman for a sixth round of talks with Iranian officials aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear program — a meeting that was set before Israel launched strikes on Friday. Howeever, Omani Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr al-Busaidi on Saturday said that the meeting would not take place as planned.
Putin and Trump also discussed the ongoing exchange of war prisoners between Russia and Ukraine. The two sides traded more prisoners on Saturday under an arrangement brokered during talks between the two sides in Istanbul, Turkey, earlier this month.
“Our president noted that an exchange of prisoners of war is taking place, including seriously wounded and prisoners of war under 25 years of age,” Ushakov said, along with expressing readiness to continue negotiations with the Ukrainians.
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