Putin and Trump Address Middle East Tensions and Ukraine in Fourth Phone Call

President Vladimir Putin spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, as well as efforts to resolve the situation in Ukraine, according to a statement from the Kremlin on Saturday.

This conversation marked the fourth between the two leaders as part of their initiative to improve relations since Trump assumed office, representing a significant shift from the strategy of the previous administration under Joe Biden.

«The alarming escalation in the Middle East was a primary focus of their discussion,» the Kremlin noted, following Israel’s airstrikes on Iran on Friday, which led to retaliatory attacks from Iran against Israel.

Putin reportedly expressed Moscow’s willingness to act as a mediator between Israel and Iran.

Both leaders expressed their worries about the rising tensions in the Middle East but also indicated that they «did not exclude the possibility of returning to talks concerning Iran’s nuclear program,» as stated in the release.

Additionally, Putin updated Trump on the «implementation of agreements established during the meeting of Russian and Ukrainian delegates in Istanbul on June 2.»

The Russian president shared that Russia remains prepared to continue negotiations with Ukraine post-June 22, while Trump acknowledged this and «reiterated his desire for a swift resolution to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict,» the Kremlin elaborated.

Putin also took a moment to wish Trump a happy birthday, and the two leaders reflected on the «brotherhood in arms» that existed between Russia and the United States during World War II.

On the previous day, Putin conducted separate calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, during which he denounced Israel’s recent military actions against Iran.

Putin «emphasized that Russia disapproves of Israel’s actions, which contravene international law and the UN Charter,» the Kremlin stated regarding these conversations.

He also communicated to Netanyahu his «willingness to offer mediation services to help avert further escalation of tensions.»