Trump speaks with Putin amid global flareups
President Donald Trump spoke for an hour Saturday morning with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump announced, amid increasingly volatile situations in the Middle East — and Putin's war in Ukraine.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social Saturday afternoon, said the two leaders discussed the escalating situation in the Middle East — which comes after Israel issued a 'preemptive' strike on Iranian military leaders and nuclear infrastructure, and Iran retaliated — as well as the need for a nuclear agreement between the U.S. and Iran.
Trump said in his post that 'much less time was spent' discussing Russia's war with Ukraine, adding that those conversations 'will be for next week.'
'He is doing the planned prisoner swaps — large numbers of prisoners are being exchanged, immediately, from both sides,' Trump wrote of the planned exchanges, which began earlier this week.
Tensions between Trump and Putin have escalated in recent weeks, as he's warned the Russian leader that he's 'playing with fire' by not engaging in serious peace talks about ending the war with Ukraine, POLITICO has reported.
Trump reiterated in the post their shared belief that the rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East should end — as should Putin's, specifically referring to it as 'his war.'
'He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end,' Trump said.
Trump also spoke on Saturday with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, she announced on X, where they spoke on the same geopolitical issues, as well as trade negotiations, reiterating 'our commitment to reach a good deal before July 9.'
Putin also 'very nicely' wished the president a happy 79th birthday.
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