Trump says ‘positive’ call with Putin covered Ukraine war and Middle East

2026-03-10 - 05:36

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that he held a “positive” telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which the two leaders discussed the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine as well as developments in the Middle East. Speaking at a press conference, Trump described the call as constructive, saying, “I had a good phone call with President Putin. It was a good conversation.” Trump said the discussion included the situation in the Middle East, noting that Putin expressed a willingness to help. “We talked about what is happening in the Middle East, and he wants to lend a helping hand,” Trump said. The U.S. president added that he encouraged Putin to focus on ending the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. “I told him that he could help by ending the Russian-Ukrainian war,” he said. Trump also acknowledged the deep tensions between Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, suggesting that the hostility between the two leaders remains a major obstacle to resolving the conflict, reports Al-Rai daily. “This war seems to have no end. There is a lot of mutual hatred between Presidents Putin and Zelensky, and I cannot reconcile them,” Trump said, adding that despite the challenges, the call overall was “positive.”