President Donald Trump said he turned down an offer from Russian President Vladimir Putin to assist on Iran, instead urging the Russian leader to concentrate on efforts to end the war in Ukraine during a lengthy phone call between the two leaders.

According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, the conversation between Trump and Putin took place Wednesday and covered both the conflict in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East.

Ushakov told reporters the discussion lasted more than 90 minutes and described it as “frank and businesslike.”

Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office as he hosted astronauts from the Artemis II mission, said the call went well and noted his long familiarity with Putin.

“We had a good talk, I’ve known him a long time,” Trump said. The US president, speaking to reporters as he met with astronauts from the Artemis II mission in the Oval Office, said he suggested “a little bit of a ceasefire” in the war in Ukraine in his phone call with the Russian leader.

“And I think he might do that,” Trump said, then asked reporters whether Putin had announced a ceasefire.

Trump also revealed that Putin raised the possibility of helping address Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, which remains a major sticking point in efforts to resolve tensions over Iran’s nuclear activities.

Trump said Putin offered to help on the issue of Iran’s enriched uranium, a key obstacle to a deal to end the Iran war, but “I said I’d much rather have you be involved with ending the war with Ukraine.”

From the Russian side, Ushakov said the leaders placed significant focus on developments involving Iran and the broader Persian Gulf region.

Russia’s Ushakov, on the other hand, said the presidents “paid particular attention to the situation regarding Iran and in the Persian Gulf.”

{Matzav.com}