Putin calls Trump to wish on birthday, both say ‘Israel-Iran war should end’

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin called him to wish him on his birthday and during the 50-minute phone call, they discussed the escalating situation in the Middle East and Ukraine peace talks.

As per a White House statement, Trump said Putin called him on Saturday to “wish me a Happy Birthday, but to more importantly, talk about Iran, a country he knows very well.”

“We talked at length. Much less time was spent talking about Russia/Ukraine, but that will be for next week,” Trump said, adding that the call lasted “approximately 1 hour.” “He feels, as I do, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end.”

Trump did not provide any further details about the call.

Kremlin also confirmed the call and Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said that Putin briefed Trump on his recent talks with the leaders of Iran and Israel and reiterated Moscow’s proposal to seek mutually acceptable solutions on the Iranian nuclear issue.

“The dangerous escalation of the situation in the Middle East was naturally at the center of the exchange of opinions,” Ushakov told journalists after the call between the two leaders.

“Vladimir Putin, having condemned the military operation against Iran, expressed serious concern about the possible escalation of the conflict,” he said, warning of “unpredictable consequences for the entire situation in the Middle East.”

Putin also emphasised Russia’s readiness to mediate and said that Russia had proposed steps “aimed at finding mutually acceptable agreements” during U.S.-Iran negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme.

Trump acknowledges ‘effectiveness’ of Israel’s strikes on targets in Iran

Trump described the regional situation as “very alarming,” but acknowledged the “effectiveness” of Israel’s strikes on targets in Iran.

The leaders did not rule out a possible return to negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme, according to Ushakov.

Trump said that Putin is moving forward with the planned prisoner swap with Ukraine.

“He is doing the planned prisoner swaps - large numbers of prisoners are being exchanged, immediately, from both sides.”

“Our president noted that an exchange of prisoners of war is taking place, including seriously wounded and prisoners of war under 25 years of age,” Ushakov said, while expressing readiness to continue negotiations with the Ukrainians.

The leaders last spoke on June 4 when they discussed Putin’s plans to respond to Ukraine’s drone strikes on Russian air bases. Before that, their last known phone call was in May, and it lasted two hours.