Kremlin says Putin backs Trump’s view on ‘working together’

ISTANBUL

The Kremlin on Wednesday said that Russian President Vladimir Putin supported US President Donald Trump’s view that the time has come for them to “work together,” as the two leaders held their first phone call since the latter took office on Jan. 20.

“The Russian President supported one of the main theses of the head of the American state that the time has come for our countries to work together,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

Peskov said that the conversation between Putin and Trump lasted almost one and a half hours.

“During the conversation, the topics of the Middle East settlement, the Iranian nuclear program, as well as bilateral Russian-American relations in the economic sphere were touched upon,” Peskov further said.

He also said that Putin told Trump about the need to “address the root causes” of the Ukraine war and agreed with him that a long-term settlement could be achieved through negotiations.

He went on to say that Putin conveyed his readiness to receive American officials in Russia, adding that the Russian president invited Trump to visit Moscow.

They also agreed to organize a personal meeting, the spokesman said.

The presidents also discussed issues related to the exchange of Russian and US citizens, Peskov said, adding Trump assured Putin that the American side will “fulfill all the agreements reached.”

Putin and Trump’s phone call was the first to take place between the presidents of the two countries since February 2022.