US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a 50-minute phone call to discuss the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, as well as efforts to end the war in Ukraine. According to the Kremlin, the two leaders described the situation in the Middle East as “very alarming”.
During the conversation, Putin briefed Trump on his recent talks with the leaders of Iran and Israel and reiterated Russia’s proposal to seek mutually acceptable solutions on the Iranian nuclear issue. Trump acknowledged the “effectiveness” of Israel’s strikes on Iran, while also expressing his desire to see the conflict come to an end.
The two leaders agreed that Iran should never be allowed to acquire weapons that would enable it to destroy Israel. “The two leaders shared the view that Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel,” the White House readout stated. Trump has previously said that “Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon” and imposed a policy of “maximum pressure” on the Islamic Republic.
The conversation also touched on the ongoing war in Ukraine, with Putin and Trump discussing potential prisoner swaps. Trump mentioned that “large numbers of prisoners are being exchanged, immediately, from both sides,” and noted that much less time was spent discussing Russia and Ukraine, but that topic would be revisited the following week.
The phone call marked the fifth conversation between the two leaders, as part of ongoing efforts to reset bilateral relations. The Kremlin emphasized Russia’s readiness to act as a mediator between Israel and Iran, and both leaders did not rule out a possible return to negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program.