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Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump held a lengthy telephone Saturday to sermon the escalating situation successful the Middle East and Russia's warfare successful Ukraine.
Trump successful a posting connected his Truth Social level said they spent the bulk of their speech focused connected Israel’s ongoing blistering attacks aimed astatine decapitating Iran’s atomic programme and Iran’s retaliatory strikes. But Trump said that helium besides pressed Putin to extremity Russia's warfare successful Ukraine.
“He feels, arsenic bash I, this warfare successful Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his warfare should besides end,” said Trump, who added the speech went astir an hour.
Putin overseas affairs advisor Yuri Ushakov said Putin briefed Trump connected his caller talks with the leaders of Iran and Israel and reiterated Russia’s connection to question mutually acceptable solutions connected the Iranian atomic issue.
“Vladimir Putin, having condemned the subject cognition against Iran, expressed superior interest astir the imaginable escalation of the conflict,” Ushakov told reporters. He added that Putin raised concerns that escalating struggle betwixt Israel and Iran threatened “unpredictable consequences for the full concern successful the Middle East.”
Putin besides emphasized Russia’s readiness to transportation retired imaginable mediation efforts, and noted that Russia had projected steps “aimed astatine uncovering mutually acceptable agreements” during U.S.-Iran negotiations connected the Iranian atomic program.
The Russia-Iran narration has deepened since Putin launched a warfare connected Ukraine successful February 2022, with Tehran providing Moscow with drones, ballistic missiles, and different support, according to U.S. quality findings.
“Russia’s principled attack and involvement successful the colony stay unchanged,” Ushakov said.
Trump described the determination concern arsenic “very alarming,” Ushakov said, but acknowledged the “effectiveness” of Israel’s strikes connected targets successful Iran.
The leaders did not regularisation retired a imaginable instrumentality to negotiations connected the Iranian atomic program, according to Ushakov.
Trump's peculiar envoy Steve Witkoff had been acceptable to question connected Sunday to Oman for a sixth circular of talks with Iranian officials aimed astatine curbing Tehran's atomic programme — a gathering that was acceptable earlier Israel launched strikes connected Friday. But Oman’s overseas minister, Badr al-Busaidi, said connected Saturday that the gathering would not instrumentality spot arsenic planned.
Putin and Trump besides discussed the ongoing speech of warfare prisoners betwixt Russia and Ukraine. The 2 sides traded much prisoners connected Saturday nether an statement brokered during talks betwixt the 2 sides successful Istanbul earlier this month.
“Our president noted that an speech of prisoners of warfare is taking place, including earnestly wounded and prisoners of warfare nether 25 years of age,” Ushakov said, on with expressing readiness to proceed negotiations with the Ukrainians.
Trump said Putin besides wished him “a Happy Birthday.” The U.S. person turned 79 connected Saturday.
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Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani successful Washington contributed to this report.
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