Putin, Trump focus on Center East tensions, Ukraine battle in cellphone name

Russian President Vladimir Putin. File
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump held a prolonged name on Saturday (June 15, 2025) to debate the escalating scenario within the Center East and Russia’s battle in Ukraine.

Mr. Trump, in a posting on his Fact Social platform, stated they spent the majority of their dialog centered on Israel’s ongoing blistering assaults geared toward decapitating Iran’s nuclear programme and Iran’s retaliatory strikes. However Trump stated that he additionally pressed Putin to finish Russia’s battle in Ukraine.

“He feels, as do I, this battle in Israel-Iran ought to finish, to which I defined, his battle also needs to finish,” stated Trump, who added the dialog went about an hour.

Mr. Putin’s overseas affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, stated Mr. Putin briefed Mr. Trump on his current talks with the leaders of Iran and Israel and reiterated Russia’s proposal to hunt mutually acceptable options on the Iranian nuclear problem.

“Vladimir Putin, having condemned the navy operation towards Iran, expressed critical concern concerning the attainable escalation of the battle,” Ushakov instructed reporters. He added that Mr. Putin raised considerations that escalating battle between Israel and Iran threatened “unpredictable penalties for your entire scenario within the Center East”.

Mr. Putin additionally emphasised Russia’s readiness to hold out attainable mediation efforts, and famous that Russia had proposed steps “geared toward discovering mutually-acceptable agreements” throughout US-Iran negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme.

The Russia-Iran relationship has deepened since Putin launched a battle on Ukraine in February 2022, with Tehran offering Moscow with drones, ballistic missiles and different help, in accordance with US intelligence findings.

“Russia’s principled strategy and curiosity within the settlement stay unchanged,” Ushakov stated.

Mr. Trump described the regional scenario as “very alarming”, Ushakov stated, however acknowledged the “effectiveness” of Israel’s strikes on targets in Iran.

The leaders didn’t rule out a attainable return to negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme, in accordance with Ushakov.

Trump’s particular envoy Steve Witkoff had been set to journey on Sunday to Oman for a sixth spherical of talks with Iranian officers geared toward curbing Tehran’s nuclear programme — a gathering that was set earlier than Israel launched strikes on Friday. However Oman’s overseas minister, Badr al-Busaidi, stated on Saturday that the assembly wouldn’t happen as deliberate.

Putin and Trump additionally mentioned the continuing trade of battle prisoners between Russia and Ukraine. The 2 sides traded extra prisoners on Saturday beneath an association brokered throughout talks between the 2 sides in Istanbul earlier this month.

“Our president famous that an trade of prisoners of battle is happening, together with seriously-wounded and prisoners of battle beneath 25 years of age,” Ushakov stated, together with expressing readiness to proceed negotiations with the Ukrainians.

Trump stated Putin additionally wished him “a Pleased Birthday”. The US chief turned 79 on Saturday. (AP) RC