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 battle 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 geared 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 battle in Israel-Iran ought to finish, to which I defined, his battle also needs to finish,” stated Trump, who added the dialog went about an hour.
Putin overseas 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 subject.
“Vladimir Putin, having condemned the navy operation in opposition to Iran, expressed severe concern concerning the attainable escalation of the battle,” Ushakov instructed reporters. He added that Putin raised considerations that escalating battle between Israel and Iran threatened “unpredictable penalties for the whole scenario within the Center East.”
Putin additionally emphasised Russia’s readiness to hold out attainable mediation efforts, and famous that Russia had proposed steps “geared 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 battle 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 method 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 attainable return to negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program, in response to 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 geared toward curbing Tehran’s nuclear program — a gathering that was set earlier than Israel launched strikes on Friday. However Oman’s overseas minister, Badr al-Busaidi, stated on Saturday that the assembly wouldn’t happen as deliberate.
Putin and Trump additionally mentioned the continuing change of battle prisoners between Russia and Ukraine. The 2 sides traded extra prisoners on Saturday underneath an association brokered throughout talks between the 2 sides in Istanbul earlier this month.
“Our president famous that an change of prisoners of battle is happening, together with critically wounded and prisoners of battle underneath 25 years of age,” Ushakov stated, together with expressing readiness to proceed negotiations with the Ukrainians.
Trump stated Putin additionally wished him “a Pleased Birthday.” The U.S. chief turned 79 on Saturday.
___
Related Press author Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.
