Putin states Russia will be ‘compelled’ to respond to Ukraine’s attacks
The U.S. President says Putin also indicated a willingness to engage in negotiations for a new nuclear agreement with Tehran
Russian President Vladimir Putin informed former U.S. President Donald Trump during a phone call that Moscow would be compelled to respond to recent Ukrainian drone strikes. Trump revealed the details of their conversation, noting that diplomatic efforts and ceasefire momentum have been overshadowed by escalating aerial attacks in the ongoing war, now in its fourth year.
Speaking on Wednesday, Trump said the two leaders discussed Ukraine’s assault on Russian aircraft and other ongoing strikes from both sides. “Putin said very strongly that he will have to respond to the recent attack on airfields,” Trump wrote in a social media post.
Al Jazeera’s White House correspondent Kimberly Halkett reported that Trump described the 85-minute call with Putin as “a good conversation,” though he acknowledged it was not a breakthrough toward ending the conflict.
“Trump came into office confident he could end this war on day one,” Halkett noted. “But as we enter June, it’s clear that a resolution remains distant.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Putin appeared visibly frustrated when asked about the possibility of direct talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, particularly in light of what he called Ukraine’s recent “terrorist acts” on Russian rail lines in the Kursk and Bryansk border regions.
“How can any summit take place under such conditions? What is there to talk about?” Putin asked during a video meeting with top Russian officials.
While Zelenskyy rejected Moscow’s ceasefire offer as an “ultimatum,” he reiterated his call for direct negotiations with the Russian president. He also seemed to challenge Moscow by stating that, had Russia accepted Ukraine’s ceasefire proposal, Kyiv’s drone strikes on Russian bombers would not have occurred.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin stated that military responses remain “on the table” following Ukraine’s unprecedented drone attacks deep inside Russian territory. Moscow also accused the West of involvement and called on the U.S. and U.K. to rein in Kyiv.
Ukrainian officials have hailed the strikes as evidence that their forces remain capable of hitting back after over three years of conflict. Western officials, including from the U.S. and U.K., denied having advance knowledge of the attacks on Russia’s long-range, nuclear-capable bombers.
In a parallel development, Pope Leo held his first phone conversation with Putin on Wednesday. According to the Vatican, the pontiff urged Moscow to take steps toward peace and stressed the importance of dialogue in resolving the war.
Trump also noted in his social media post that he and Putin discussed Iran during their call. According to Trump, Putin expressed willingness to engage in negotiations aimed at crafting a new nuclear agreement with Tehran.
“I told President Putin that Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, and I believe we agreed on that point,” Trump said, adding that he accused Iran of stalling progress in the ongoing talks.
The Kremlin confirmed that Putin conveyed similar support for negotiations during a recent call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. However, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed the latest U.S. proposal, claiming it runs counter to Tehran’s national interests amid ongoing disputes over uranium enrichment.
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