Trump, Putin Discuss Iran Conflict, Ukraine War in Hour-Long Call. President Donald Trump spoke by phone Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the conflict in Iran and ongoing efforts to end the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin confirmed. The call marked the first publicly reported conversation between the two leaders since hostilities involving Iran began.
According to Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, the discussion lasted about an hour and was “frank” and “businesslike.” Ushakov said Putin presented several proposals aimed at ending the Iran conflict. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi added that France, China, and Russia had engaged in talks to explore possible ceasefire conditions, Axios reported. Trump described the call as “very good” and noted that while Putin expressed a desire to assist with Iran, he advised that ending the war in Ukraine would be a more effective contribution.
The conversation comes amid heightened tensions following a Feb. 28 U.S. Tomahawk missile strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school in southeastern Iran, which Iranian sources report killed at least 175 people, mostly children. A preliminary U.S. military investigation attributed the strike to outdated intelligence. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) defended U.S. actions during a CNN interview, emphasizing accountability for the strike but highlighting what he described as disproportionate media outrage compared with Iranian actions against civilians.
