US president Donald Trump has said Russian president Vladimir Putin told him “very strongly” in a phone call on Wednesday that he will respond to Ukraine’s weekend drone attack on Russian airfields.
The US president said in a social media post that “it was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate peace.”
The call that lasted for an hour and 15 minutes was Mr Trump’s first known with Mr Putin since May 19th.
Mr Trump said he and Mr Putin also discussed Iran’s nuclear programme.
Ukraine’s security service gave more details on Wednesday about its weekend drone strike on Russian airbases, which it claimed destroyed or damaged 41 Russian aircraft, including strategic bombers.
The agency claimed the planes struck included A-50, Tu-95, Tu-22, Tu-160, An-12, and Il-78 aircraft, adding that artificial intelligence helped guide the drones thousands of kilometres from Ukraine.
It also said it set off an explosion on Tuesday on the seabed beneath the Kerch Bridge, a vital transport link between Russia and illegally annexed Crimea, claiming it caused damage to the structure.
But Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that there was no damage.
Russia’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that its troops have taken control of another village in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, on the border with Russia.
Mr Putin announced on May 22nd that Russian troops aim to create a buffer zone that might help prevent Ukrainian cross-border attacks. Since then, Russia’s ministry of defence has claimed its forces have taken control of nine Sumy villages.
Mr Trump says part of his call with Mr Putin was focused on Iran and “the fact that time is running out on Iran’s decision pertaining to nuclear weapons, which must be made quickly!”
Mr Trump said in a post on his social media site that he told Russia’s president “that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and, on this, I believe that we were in agreement”.
He said Mr Putin suggested “that he will participate in the discussions with Iran” and could perhaps “be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion”.
Mr Trump previously boasted that a major announcement on Iran was coming – but none has materialised.
He suggested in his latest post that Iran has been slow-walking their decision “and we will need a definitive answer in a very short period of time!”. – AP
