Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. 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鈥檚 ongoing blistering attacks aimed at decapitating Iran鈥檚 nuclear program and Iran鈥檚 retaliatory strikes. But Trump said that he also pressed Putin to end .
鈥淗e feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end,鈥 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鈥檚 proposal to seek mutually acceptable solutions on the Iranian nuclear issue.
鈥淰ladimir Putin, having condemned the military operation against Iran, expressed serious concern about the possible escalation of the conflict,鈥 Ushakov told reporters. He added that Putin raised concerns that escalating conflict between Israel and Iran threatened 鈥渦npredictable consequences for the entire situation in the Middle East.鈥
Putin also emphasized Russia鈥檚 readiness to carry out possible mediation efforts, and noted that Russia had proposed steps 鈥渁imed at finding mutually acceptable agreements鈥 during U.S.-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,
鈥淩ussia鈥檚 principled approach and interest in the settlement remain unchanged,鈥 Ushakov said.
Trump described the regional situation as 鈥渧ery alarming,鈥 Ushakov said, but acknowledged the 鈥渆ffectiveness鈥 of Israel鈥檚 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 鈥 a meeting that was set before Israel launched strikes on Friday. But Oman鈥檚 foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, said on Saturday that the meeting would not take place as planned.
Putin and Trump also discussed the ongoing exchange of war prisoners between Russia and Ukraine. The two sides traded more prisoners on Saturday under an arrangement brokered during talks between the two sides in Istanbul earlier this month.
鈥淥ur president noted that an exchange of prisoners of war is taking place, including seriously wounded and prisoners of war under 25 years of age,鈥 Ushakov said, along with expressing readiness to continue negotiations with the Ukrainians.
Trump said Putin also wished him 鈥渁 Happy Birthday.鈥 The U.S. leader turned 79 on Saturday.
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Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.
