Washington — President Trump said Wednesday that he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone for over an hour, and Putin told him that he plans to respond to Ukraine’s drone strike on Russian air bases.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded hours later that “if the powerful do not stop Putin, it means they share responsibility with him.”
Mr. Trump announced the call and details of the conversation on his social media platform Truth Social.
Ukraine on Sunday launched a drone attack deep into Russian territory that security officials said destroyed about 40 military bombers. Mr. Trump also said Putin suggested he will participate in negotiations with Iran over their nuclear capabilities, as the U.S. works to keep nuclear weapons out of Iranian hands. Ceasefire talks between Ukraine and Russia have stalled, and Mr. Trump has expressed frustration with both Putin and Zelenskyy.
“I just finished speaking, by telephone, with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia,” Mr. Trump wrote. “The call lasted approximately one hour and 15 minutes. We discussed the attack on Russia’s docked airplanes, by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides. It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace. President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.”
Hours later, Zelenskyy posted on social media, “Many have spoken with Russia at various levels. But none of these talks have brought a reliable peace, or even stopped the war.”
Zelenskyy added that when Putin “senses weakness,” he “always commits new crimes.” Putin, Zelenskyy wrote, “sees such an attitude as silent permission: permission for new atrocities, new strikes, new killings.”
Mr. Trump also wrote that he and Putin discussed Iran, and “the fact that time is running out on Iran’s decision pertaining to nuclear weapons, which must be made quickly!”
“I stated to President Putin that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and, on this, I believe that we were in agreement,” Mr. Trump wrote. “President Putin suggested that he will participate in the discussions with Iran and that he could, perhaps, be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion.”
Mr. Trump’s last known phone call with Putin was in May, and lasted two hours.
