What did Donald Trump say about the conversation with Putin?
What topics were discussed during the conversation?
How did Putin assess US actions in Iran?
What position did Trump take on the war in Ukraine?
Putin was “impressed”
— I said you could be more helpful if you ended the war between Ukraine and Russia. That would be more helpful. But we had a very good conversation and he wants to be very constructive, Trump said. The US president also said that Putin “was very impressed by what he saw” when it comes to US military operations in Iran because “no one has ever seen anything like it.”
According to the Kremlin, the conversation took place on the initiative of the American president, and Trump again expressed his desire to quickly end the war in Ukraine.
However, Putin's adviser Yuri Ushakov reported that by advocating an immediate ceasefire, Trump changed his position on the war in Ukraine. According to the Kremlin, this contradicts what he said during his meeting with Putin in Alaska last year. Nevertheless, according to Ushakov, Putin had a positive assessment of the US mediation. He also allegedly stated that Russian troops were doing well on the front.
The advisor to the Russian leader also said that Putin presented several solutions that would speed up the end of the war with Iran, including: through contacts with the leaders of the Persian Gulf countries and the President of Iran, Massoud Pezeshkian. Putin's adviser added that it was a “very substantive” and “useful exchange of views.”
Neither side commented on reports about Russia's alleged intelligence support for Iran, including assistance in strikes against American soldiers. Trump has so far claimed that Russia's aid, even if it did provide it, was not significant support for Tehran. So far, seven American soldiers have been killed in Iranian retaliatory attacks.
