20 hours ago
Putin wished me a happy birthday — Trump
US President Donald Trump revealed his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, wished him a happy birthday during a phone conversation on Saturday.
Shortly after the phone call, the US leader took to his Truth Social to spill some details on the talks.
'President Putin called this morning to very nicely wish me a Happy Birthday, but to more importantly, talk about Iran, a country he knows very well. We talked at length,' Trump, who turns 79 on Saturday, wrote.
The two presidents spent 'much less time' discussing the Ukraine conflict, he noted, adding that the topic 'will be for next week.' 'The call lasted approximately 1 hour. He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end,' Trump wrote.
According to the Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, the conversation between Putin and Trump was 'meaningful, frank, and most importantly, very useful.' The Russian leader condemned Israel's strikes on Iran, noting that they occurred just before the sixth round of nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington, originally scheduled for June 15, he noted.
'Despite such a complicated situation, the Russian and American presidents didn't rule out a return to the negotiating track on the Iranian nuclear program,' Ushakov added.
The presidential aide also confirmed that Putin extended birthday wishes to Trump, noting that both leaders have 'expressed their satisfaction with the personal relationships that allow [them] to communicate in a businesslike manner,' as well as to 'seek solutions to pressing issues on the bilateral and international agenda, no matter how complex these issues may be.'
