US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had a “very good call” with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The conversation focused on the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East involving Iran, Reuters reported. Speaking to reporters at his golf club in Doral, Florida, Trump shared details of the discussion. The call came just days after Trump temporarily lifted some sanctions on Russian oil, a move aimed at easing rising global energy costs.
Trump has been dealing with skyrocketing oil prices and increasing tensions in the Middle East.
This was the first time Trump and Putin had talked since the war in Iran began. The two leaders spoke at a very sensitive time, especially since Russia is a major ally of Iran. US officials worry that Russia could be helping Iran in its war efforts. Trump, however, seemed to downplay this concern. Steve Witkoff, a White House envoy, told reporters on Saturday that he had warned Russian officials not to share any intelligence with Iran, Axios reported.
Trump talks with Putin on Ukraine and Iran
Speaking to the reporters, Trump said the call covered the long-running conflict between Russia and Ukraine. He added that relations between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remain tense. “There’s tremendous hatred between President Putin and President Zelenskyy. They can’t seem to get it together, but I think it was a positive call on that subject,” Trump said.
Trump also mentioned that Putin had shown interest in helping with the Iran situation. “Putin wants to be helpful with the Iran conflict,” he said. However, Trump added that he encouraged Putin to focus more on ending the war in Ukraine. “I said, ‘You could be more helpful by getting the Ukraine-Russia war over with. That will be more helpful,’” Trump told reporters.
Russian proposal for Iran
Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told Russian reporters that the call lasted about an hour. He described it as “friendly” and “businesslike.” Earlier on Monday, the foreign policy aide to Putin told Reuters that the Russian president suggested an idea for a “quick political and diplomatic end” to the conflict involving Iran.
Meanwhile, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on state TV that France, China, and Russia have reached out to discuss possible ceasefire conditions. Ushakov added that the two leaders also talked about the recent spike in oil prices. Following this, Reuters reported that the US administration is considering further easing Russian oil sanctions to help address the surge in oil prices.
Last week, the US allowed India to buy Russian oil temporarily, hoping this would help ease shortages caused by the ongoing conflicts.
‘Short-Term Excursion’ in Iran
Speaking at an event in Miami on Monday, Trump described USactions in Iran as a “short-term excursion.” He added, “We took a little excursion because we felt we had to do that to get rid of some evil. Then, I think you’ll see it’s going to be a short-term excursion.”
Trump continued, “We’ve already won in many ways, but we haven’t won enough. We go forward, more determined than ever to achieve ultimate victory that will end this long-running danger once and for all.”
Trump’s statements about the Iran war being “very complete” caused a reaction in global markets. Prices for Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate briefly dropped back below $90 a barrel.
Meanwhile, during the CBS press conference, Trump detailed the scale of US military action. He said American airstrikes have hit “5,000 targets,” destroyed 51 ships, and started damaging Iran’s drone stockpiles.
He told CBS News, “I think the war is very complete, pretty much. They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no air force. Their missiles are down to a scatter. Their drones are being blown up all over the place, including their manufacturing of drones. If you look, they have nothing left. There’s nothing left in a military sense.”