On his 80th birthday Trump gets separate calls from Putin, Zelenskyy
Moscow /Washington DC, June 15
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with US President Donald Trump on the latter's 80th birthday, TASS reported.
The two leaders on Sunday discussed the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran, as well as possible future contacts between Washington and Moscow, according to the Kremlin.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said that the conversation lasted around 55 minutes and was described as friendly and frank. Putin extended birthday wishes to Trump, while the US President conveyed greetings from First Lady Melania Trump.
This phone call was the first one between the two leaders in the past month and a half and lasted just under an hour. They last spoke over the phone on April 29.
"Our president also sent a congratulatory message, in which he noted the exceptional character traits of the honoree that have contributed to his success as a person and as a politician. Donald Trump was touched by these words, expressed his gratitude, and noted that Vladimir Putin was the first foreign leader to call him at the White House," Ushakov said, according to the Russian state media TASS.
The Russian President did not send any gifts to mark the US President's 80th birthday, the Russian presidential aide for international affairs was cited as saying.
The Kremlin aide added that it was agreed that US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are closely involved in Iranian affairs, would travel to Russia in the near future for further discussions.
CNN reported that Putin told Trump that if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants a meeting, he should come to Moscow - an offer that Zelensky has consistently rejected.
The US news outlet said Trump also held a conversation with Zelensky, the Ukrainian president said Sunday, where he also congratulated the US president on his birthday. "We have had quite a detailed discussion about many key things - peace, surely, was among them," Zelensky said.
"We agreed that we will discuss more during our meeting at the G7 Summit," he added, referring to the annual meeting of leaders of the Group of Seven nations, which is taking place in France this week.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Trump's 80th birthday and he's still playing global mediator between Putin and Zelensky? The Ukraine situation is a mess and this call seems more about photo-ops than real progress. India should be wary of any US-Russia deals that might affect our energy security or defense ties.
It's good to see world leaders maintaining personal connections despite conflicts. But I wonder what Putin's 'friendly and frank' actually means - probably some hard bargaining behind closed doors. India has always believed in dialogue over war, so any step towards peace in Ukraine is welcome, even if it's through birthday calls!
Trump inviting Zelensky to Moscow - that's a bold move from Putin. But can't see Zelensky accepting unless something big changes. Meanwhile, here in India we're watching how this might affect our own diplomatic balancing act between US, Russia, and Ukraine. #GlobalPolitics
80 years old and still running the US? Makes me think about our own leaders' retirement age. But jokes aside, these calls show how personal chemistry can shape geopolitics. India should keep its options open - we need good relations with all these powers for our own economic growth. The G7 meeting will be interesting to watch.
Honestly, all this diplomacy feels like theater sometimes. Putin calls Trump, Zelensky calls Trump, everyone wants a piece of the US president. India should focus on strengthening our own alliances instead of getting caught in the middle of their games. The real issues - Ukraine's civilians, Iran's nuclear program - need substantive action, not birthday calls.
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