Trump tells Putin to end Ukraine war before mediating Iran-Israel
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump appeared Wednesday to rebuff Vladimir Putin's offer to mediate in the Israel-Iran conflict, saying the Russian president should end his own war in Ukraine first.
'He actually offered to help mediate. I said, 'Do me a favor, mediate your own. Let's mediate Russia first, okay?'' Trump told reporters at the White House. 'I said 'Vladimir, let's mediate Russia first, you can worry about this later.''
But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov appeared to suggest the pair had not even spoken, telling Russian state news agency TASS: 'He was speaking figuratively. Life is so eventful right now that looking back a few days is like looking back to yesterday.'
Later Wednesday Trump said a change in Iran's government 'could happen,' and also indicated that negotiations could be in the offing, without giving details.
'They want to meet, they want to come to the White House — I may do that,' Trump told reporters.
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Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Putin says Russia could help broker a deal between Iran and Israel
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia: President Vladimir Putin offered Wednesday to help mediate an end to the conflict between Israel and Iran, suggesting Moscow could help negotiate a settlement that could allow Tehran to pursue a peaceful atomic program while assuaging Israeli security concerns. Speaking to senior news leaders of international news agencies, Putin noted that 'it's a delicate issue,' but added that 'in my view, a solution could be found.' Asked how Russia would react if Israel kills Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Putin refused to answer, saying that 'I don't even want to discuss such a possibility.' Khamenei has rejected US calls for surrender in the face of more Israeli strikes and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause 'irreparable damage to them.' Putin said he shared Moscow's proposals with Iran, Israel and the United States. 'We are not imposing anything on anyone; we are simply talking about how we see a possible way out of the situation. But the decision, of course, is up to the political leadership of all these countries, primarily Iran and Israel,' he said. Russia's help with Iran's nuclear power plant Putin noted that Russia helped Iran finish construction of a nuclear power plant and is currently working on building two more reactors. 'The work is underway, and our specialists are on site. That's over 200 people. And we agreed with the Israeli leadership that security will be ensured,' Putin said. Putin's comments follow a mediation offer that he made in a call with US President Donald Trump last weekend. Putin, meeting with senior news leaders of international news agencies, including The Associated Press, on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, emphasized that Russia has a trusting relationship with Iran and built its first nuclear power plant in Bushehr. Russia has maintained a delicate balancing act in the Middle East for decades, trying to navigate its warm relations with Israel even as it has developed strong economic and military ties with Iran, a policy that potentially opens opportunities for Moscow to play power broker to help end the confrontation. Praise for Trump's push for peace in Ukraine Putin used Wednesday's session to praise Trump's push for peace in Ukraine, seconding the American leader's repeated claims that the 3-year-old conflict wouldn't have started if he had been in the White House in 2022. 'If Trump had been the president, the conflict indeed might not have erupted,' Putin said. Russia has intensified its aerial campaign in Ukraine in recent months and stepped up ground attacks along the more than 1,000-kilometer (over 600-mile) front line. Putin has effectively rejected Trump's offer of an immediate 30-day ceasefire, making it conditional on a halt on Ukraine's mobilization effort and a freeze on Western arms supplies. He said he is open for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but repeated his claim that he lost his legitimacy after his term expired last year — the allegations rejected by Ukraine and its allies. 'We are ready for substantive talks on the principles of settlement,' Putin said, noting that the previous round of talks had paved the way for the exchange of prisoners and the bodies of fallen soldiers. Asked by AP about Russia condemning Israel's strikes on Iran even as Ukrainian civilians are killed in attacks by Moscow, Putin responded that Russia was targeting the country's arms factories. 'The strikes were carried out against military industries, not residential quarters,' Putin said. AP reporters have documented damage to residential buildings in Ukraine, most recently this week. On Wednesday, emergency workers pulled more bodies from the rubble of a nine-story Kyiv apartment building demolished by a Russian attack, raising the death toll from the strike on the capital to 28. Putin vowed that Moscow will achieve its goal to 'demilitarize' Ukraine. 'We will not allow Ukraine to have armed forces that would threaten the Russian Federation and its people,' he said. 'And if we fail to reach a settlement, we will achieve our goals by military means.' The Russian leader also dismissed Western warnings of Russia's purported plans to attack NATO countries as 'ravings,' noting the alliance's military spending far exceed Moscow's defense budget. The Russian leader has used the annual forum to highlight Russia's economic achievements and seek foreign investment. Western executives, who attended the event in the past, have avoided it after Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, leaving it to business leaders from Asia, Africa and Latin America. Putin met earlier with former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who now heads the New Development Bank created by the BRICS alliance of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. He is also set to have meetings with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and He's also expected to confer with top officials from China, South Africa and Bahrain and the head of the OPEC group of oil-producing countries. On Friday, he is set to attend a panel discussion at the forum, a venue he has used to make policy statements.
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Putin says Iran-Israel deal that suits both sides is possible
SAINT PETERSBURG: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that a deal to end the fighting between Israel and Iran was possible, and that Israel's strikes on Iran had led to a 'consolidation' of Iranian society around its leadership. 'We see that today in Iran there is a consolidation of society around the country's political leadership,' Putin told foreign journalists, including AFP, at a televised event. 'This is a delicate issue, and of course we need to be very careful here, but in my opinion, a solution can be found,' he added. Putin said such an agreement could guarantee both Israel's security and Iran's desire for a civilian nuclear program. Israel said its surprise air campaign was aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons — an ambition Tehran denies. 'I believe it would be good for all of us together to look for ways to stop the fighting and seek ways for the participants in the conflict to find an agreement,' he said. Putin said there were more than 200 Russian employees at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran which was built by Russia's Rosatom. 'We agreed with the leadership of Israel that their security would be ensured,' he said. He said Russia could 'continue' to work with Iran on its civilian nuclear program and 'ensure their interests in this sphere.' US President Donald Trump on Wednesday appeared to rebuff Putin's earlier offer to mediate in the conflict, saying the Russian president should end his own conflict in Ukraine first. 'I spoke to him yesterday and... he actually offered to help mediate, I said 'do me a favor, mediate your own,'' Trump told reporters as he unveiled a giant new flag pole at the White House. Russia has deepened military ties with Iran since Moscow launched its campaign in Ukraine in 2022. Moscow and Tehran in January inked a far-ranging strategic partnership agreement, and Kyiv and its allies have long accused Iran of supplying Russia with drones and short-range missiles. The assault on Ukraine and the war in Gaza have strained Moscow's traditionally good relations with Israel, home to a large Russian-born community.
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Trump still undecided on Iran attack, says Iran wants White House meeting
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he has not made a decision on how to proceed on Iran and that he will hold a meeting later in the day in the White House Situation Room. Trump said Iran wants to meet and the US side 'may do that.' He said Israel is doing well in its attacks aimed at dismantling Iran's nuclear facilities. Trump said he believed that Iran was close to developing a nuclear weapon before the attacks began. Asked if the Iranian regime could fall, Trump said: 'Sure, anything could happen.'
