On Monday, March 9, U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which the two leaders discussed the war with Iran as well as efforts to bring the war in Ukraine to an end, the Kremlin said.
The call marked the first contact between Trump and Putin since the start of the war with Iran. Russia remains one of Tehran’s key allies, and U.S. officials have expressed concern that Moscow could assist Iran in its military campaign.
Trump himself sought to downplay the likelihood of such a scenario. At the same time, White House envoy Steve Witkoff told reporters on Saturday that he had conveyed Washington’s position to Russian officials—Moscow should not share intelligence with Iran.
Yuri Ushakov, the Russian president’s foreign policy adviser, told Russian journalists that the call lasted about an hour and was conducted in a “frank” and “businesslike” manner. According to him, Putin presented Trump with “several proposals” for ending the war with Iran.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on state television that France, China and Russia had reached out to discuss the terms of a possible ceasefire.
Ushakov also noted that during the call Trump and Putin discussed the situation on global oil markets, where prices have surged sharply. Last week the United States temporarily allowed India to continue purchasing Russian oil, hoping to ease potential supply shortages.