Washington D.C. / Moscow – Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly told President Donald Trump that he will be forced to respond to Ukraine’s recent large-scale drone attack on Russian airbases. The warning came during a phone call between the two leaders, which lasted over an hour.
Mr. Trump, speaking after the call, stated that “President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.” In a social media post, Mr. Trump cautioned that the conversation would not “lead to immediate peace” between Russia and Ukraine.
Russia’s state-owned news agency RIA Novosti reported that Mr. Putin conveyed to Mr. Trump that Ukraine had attempted to “disrupt” ongoing negotiations and had “essentially turned into a terrorist organisation.” The agency also noted that the two leaders “exchanged views on the prospects for restoring cooperation between the countries.”
The call marks the first direct contact between Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin since Ukraine launched a surprise drone attack on June 1, targeting what it described as nuclear-capable long-range bombers at Russian airbases. The Kremlin later indicated that Mr. Trump told Mr. Putin the US had not been forewarned about this assault.
The conversation also touched upon Iran’s nuclear programme. Mr. Trump said Mr. Putin suggested he could play a helpful role in bringing nuclear talks with Iran to a “rapid conclusion.” Mr. Trump expressed his belief that Iran “cannot have a nuclear weapon” and that Tehran had been “slow walking” its decision on the matter, demanding a “definitive answer in a very short period of time.” This follows reports that the US proposed Iran halt all production of enriched uranium. Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, has publicly criticised the US proposal and stated that the country will not cease enriching uranium.
The call comes amidst continued fighting in Ukraine and ongoing, albeit slow, diplomatic efforts. A Ukrainian delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak, is currently in Washington to discuss defence support, battlefield developments, and sanctions against Russia.
Recent direct peace talks between the warring sides in Istanbul ended without a major breakthrough, although an agreement was reached to swap more prisoners of war. Ukrainian negotiators stated that Russia rejected an “unconditional ceasefire,” a key demand from Kyiv and its Western allies. The Russian team, in turn, claimed they had proposed multi-day ceasefires in “certain areas” of the frontline, without providing further details.
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