Washington, D.C. : According to reports, US President Donald Trump had a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss Ukraine's attack on Russia's docked planes, as well as several other incidents involving both countries.
Trump stated that his talk with Putin was positive, but not one that would result in immediate peace. He stated that Putin clearly indicated that he would have to retaliate to the recent assault on the airports.
Trump announced on his social media network Truth Social, "I just spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone. " The conversation lasted around an hour and fifteen minutes. We talked about Ukraine's attack on Russia's docked aircraft, as well as several other attacks carried out by both countries. It was a fruitful chat, but not one that will bring immediate Peace. President Putin stated unequivocally that he will have to react to the recent attack on the airfields.
Trump said he and Putin discussed Iran, adding that time is running out for Iran to make a decision on nuclear weapons, which must be made soon. He said that Putin hinted that he would attend talks with Iran and help expedite a resolution.
We also discussed Iran, and the reality that Iran's decision on nuclear weapons must be made soon! I told President Putin that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons, and I feel we agreed on this. President Putin said that he would join in the negotiations with Iran and might be useful in expediting their conclusion. In my view, Iran has been dragging their feet on this extremely important matter, and we need a definitive answer very shortly, Trump stated on Truth Social.
The two leaders met following Ukraine and Russia carried out some of the biggest drone strikes since the war began nearly three years ago. Ukraine conducted a major drone strike on Sunday, destroying dozens of nuclear-capable bombers and other military aircraft deep inside Russian territory.
Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will not attend a meeting of 50 defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, which is critical for coordinating military assistance to Ukraine, according to Politico. It is the first time in three years that the US Defence Secretary has missed the gathering.
NATO defense ministers and other authorities have convened regularly to coordinate financing for Kyiv, emerging as a vital part of Western aid for Ukraine amid the war with Russia. However, the Trump government has distanced itself from the organization, giving leadership to Germany and the United Kingdom.
Hegseth will be in Brussels on Thursday for a NATO defence ministers meeting. However, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker will attend the Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting in his place on Wednesday, according to Politico, citing a defense official and two individuals familiar with their plans, all of whom were granted anonymity to discuss internal matters. The United States Department of Defense blamed scheduling difficulties for his absence from the meeting.
According to a statement from Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson, Secretary Hegseth's travel schedule prevents him from attending tomorrow's UDCG meeting. She also said that the United States is committed to bringing the conflict in Ukraine to a conclusion as quickly as possible, on terms that ensure lasting peace.
Earlier on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that US President Donald Trump is pleased with the progress being made amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and pushed his counterparts from Russia and Ukraine to speak directly with one another.
While addressing a news conference on Tuesday (local time), Leavitt said that Russia had provided a peace plan to the Ukrainian side, and the two sides had reached an agreement on the exchange of captives from each other's countries.
When asked about Trump's remarks on the RussiaUkraine conflict after the Ukrainian drone strike, Karoline Leavitt said, "The President's view on the RussiaUkraine war as it stands, I've spoken with him about it just this morning, is that he remains optimistic about the progress we've made. " Again, he pushed both leaders to meet and communicate openly with each other, which they did. I believe Russia presented Ukraine with a peace memorandum, a peace plan, or a proposal for one. They also agreed to exchange prisoners or captives from each other's countries.
He is hopeful about the progress we are seeing, but he is also a realist and understands that these are two countries at war, and have been for a long time, because of his predecessor's weakness and incompetence. So he is working hard to resolve this issue. She stated that that is where his thoughts are now about the issue.
On Monday, Russia and Ukraine had their second round of direct discussions in Istanbul. According to The Washington Post, the two nations decided to trade dead and captured soldiers. However, no substantial headway toward ending the conflict or even agreeing to a cease-fire was made.
According to Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who headed the Ukrainian delegation, Russia refused to consent to an unconditional ceasefire or a one-on-one meeting between the two countries' leaders. However, both countries consented to exchange badly wounded prisoners of war, captives under the age of 25, and the remains of 6,000 dead soldiers from each side.
