Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump spoke by phone this week about the wars in Ukraine and Iran. Photo / Getty Images
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump spoke by phone this week about the wars in Ukraine and Iran. Photo / Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with US President Donald Trump for 90 minutes about the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov says.
The phone briefing was “frank and businesslike”, Ushakov told reporters, and the presidents “paid particular attention to the situation regarding Iran and inthe Persian Gulf”.
Ushakov said: “Vladimir Putin considers Donald Trump’s decision to extend the ceasefire with Iran to be the right one, as this should give negotiations a chance and, overall, help to stabilise the situation.”
But Putin also “highlighted the inevitable and extremely damaging consequences not only for Iran and its neighbours, but also for the entire international community, should the US and Israel resort to military action once again”.
Ushakov added that Russia was “firmly committed to providing every possible assistance to diplomatic efforts” on the Middle East war, and said the call was held at Moscow’s initiative.
The leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year after Russia’s invasion of its neighbour in 2022.
Ushakov said: “At Trump’s request, Vladimir Putin described the current situation along the line of contact, where our troops are holding the strategic initiative and pushing back the enemy’s positions.”
And, according to the Kremlin aide: “Both ... expressed essentially similar assessments of the behaviour of the Kyiv regime led by [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy, which - incited and with the support of the Europeans - is pursuing a policy of prolonging the conflict.”
