Putin and Trump discussed Mideast tensions, Ukraine war in phone call
MOSCOW, June 14, (AP): Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a lengthy call Saturday to discuss the escalating situation in the Middle East and Russia's war in Ukraine. Trump in a posting on his Truth Social platform said they spent the bulk of their conversation focused on Israel's ongoing blistering attacks aimed at decapitating Iran's nuclear program and Iran's retaliatory strikes.
But Trump said that he also pressed Putin to end Russia's war in Ukraine. "He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end,' said Trump, who added the conversation went about an hour. Putin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said Putin briefed Trump on his recent talks with the leaders of Iran and Israel and reiterated Russia's proposal to seek mutually acceptable solutions on the Iranian nuclear issue.
"Vladimir Putin, having condemned the military operation against Iran, expressed serious concern about the possible escalation of the conflict,' Ushakov told reporters. He added that Putin raised concerns that escalating conflict between Israel and Iran threatened "unpredictable consequences for the entire situation in the Middle East.'
Putin also emphasized Russia's readiness to carry out possible mediation efforts, and noted that Russia had proposed steps "aimed at finding mutually acceptable agreements' during US-Iran negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program. The Russia-Iran relationship has deepened since Putin launched a war on Ukraine in February 2022, with Tehran providing Moscow with drones, ballistic missiles, and other support, according to US intelligence findings.
"Russia's principled approach and interest in the settlement remain unchanged,' Ushakov said. Trump described the regional situation as "very alarming,' Ushakov said, but acknowledged the "effectiveness' of Israel's strikes on targets in Iran. The leaders did not rule out a possible return to negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program, according to Ushakov.
Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff had been set to travel on Sunday to Oman for a sixth round of talks with Iranian officials aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear program - a meeting that was set before Israel launched strikes on Friday. But Oman's foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, said on Saturday that the meeting would not take place as planned.
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