Putin, Trump hold phone call, discuss Ukraine, Middle East conflict
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call on June 14 in which the two leaders discussed Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and Iran.
"Another telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir... Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump," Russian state media reported, citing Putin's foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov.
The phone call took place on Trump's birthday, as the U.S. president marks the occasion with a military parade in Washington.
The two leaders discussed Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East as Israel and Iran continue to exchange aerial attacks.
"The exchange of opinions naturally focused on the dangerous escalation of the situation in the Middle East," Ushakov said.
The phone call between Trump and Putin lasted 50 minutes, he said.
"Russia expressed its readiness to continue negotiations with the Ukrainians, as agreed, after June 22. Donald Trump took note of this information and once again noted his interest in a speedy end to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict," Ushakov said, according to Russian state media.
Trump later confirmed he held a phone call with Putin, saying that the main topic the two leaders covered was Iran.
"President Putin called this morning to very nicely wish me a Happy Birthday, but to more importantly, talk about Iran, a country he knows very well," Trump said in a post to Truth social.
Trump noted that the phone call between the two leaders lasted about one hour, with Putin congratulating Trump on his birthday.
"Much less time was spent talking about Russia/Ukraine, but that will be for next week. He is doing the planned prisoner swaps — large numbers of prisoners are being exchanged, immediately, from both sides," Trump said.
The latest round of prisoner swaps occurred on June 14. Ukraine mainly returned severely wounded and seriously ill soldiers, many of whom were captured during the defense of Mariupol in 2022.
Russia has intensified drone and missile attacks on Ukraine following two rounds of largely inconclusive peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in Turkey on May 16 and June 2.
Israel and Iran continued to exchange attacks on June 14, more than 24 hours after Israel launched its first strikes on Iran's nuclear sites and military leadership.
Trump has said that the U.S. military is on high alert and watching for any kind of retaliation, adding that the U.S. will respond to defend itself or Israel if Iran strikes back.
Yuliia Taradiuk
