Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday spoke over the phone with US President Donald Trump and discussed wars in Ukraine and Iran, a Russian presidential aide said.
The phone call, which lasted more than an hour and a half, took place on the initiative of the Russian side, Russian Presidential Aide for Foreign Affairs Yury Ushakov told reporters in Moscow.
Putin said that Trump's decision to extend the ceasefire regime against Iran is "correct" and would give a chance to negotiations, helping to stabilize the situation, according to Ushakov.
"Vladimir Putin drew attention to the inevitable, extremely harmful consequences not only for Iran and its neighbors, but also for the entire international community if the US and Israel resorted to violent actions. And, of course, the option of a ground operation in Iran seems completely unacceptable and dangerous," he said.
Ushakov emphasized that Russia is firmly committed to providing all possible assistance to diplomatic efforts and has proposed a number of considerations aimed at resolving differences over the Iranian nuclear program.
On Ukraine, Trump emphasized the importance of an early cessation of hostilities and his willingness to contribute in every possible way, according to the Russian presidential aide.
"Donald Trump believes that a deal that would end the conflict in Ukraine is already close," Ushakov said.
At Trump's request, Putin spoke about the current situation on the front line and reiterated his position that the objectives of the military operation will be "achieved in any case, though a negotiated outcome would be preferable," the Kremlin aide remarked.
According to him, Putin proposed a ceasefire in Ukraine on May 9, Victory Day in World War II, and Trump endorsed the idea.
"Vladimir Putin informed his American counterpart of his readiness to declare a truce for the period of Victory Day celebrations," Ushakov said.
The presidents also discussed prospects for mutually beneficial projects in the economy and energy, noting that several large-scale economic initiatives are already being discussed between representatives of the two states.
They agreed to continue maintaining contacts, both personally and at the level of their assistants and representatives, Ushakov said.
Putin also expressed sympathy with Trump over last week's shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner at a hotel in Washington, DC.
"The Russian leader strongly condemned the crime, emphasizing the unacceptability of any form of politically motivated violence," the Russian presidential aide said.
The previous publicly confirmed phone call between the Russian and US presidents took place on March 9.
The call reportedly lasted nearly an hour and was initiated by the American side at the time. The conversation primarily focused on discussing the escalating conflict around Iran and also touched upon the situation regarding the trilateral negotiations for a Ukraine settlement.
