Trump Holds 75-Minute Call With Putin... Russia Suggests Retaliatory Strikes Against Ukraine

No Progress on Ukraine War Ceasefire
Iran Nuclear Issue Also Discussed

On June 4 (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he had a 75-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which they discussed major international issues such as the war in Ukraine and the Iranian nuclear issue. However, the discussions did not reach the level of achieving a ceasefire, as they only confirmed President Putin's intention to retaliate against Ukraine.

Reuters Yonhap News

President Trump posted on his social networking service, Truth Social, to share news of the call, stating, "We talked about the Russian air strikes on Ukraine and various ongoing attacks by both sides."

He said, "It was a good conversation, but it was not at the level that would lead to immediate peace," and added, "President Putin expressed a very strong stance that he would respond to the recent attacks on (Ukraine's) air bases."

This indicates that President Putin suggested retaliation for Ukraine's recent destruction of a large number of Russian air assets, including long-range bombers, using drones. President Trump had pledged to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office, but more than four months into his term, he has not yet achieved this due to President Putin's uncooperative attitude. As a result, President Trump is now considering raising the level of pressure on Russia, including the possibility of additional sanctions.

Regarding the Iranian nuclear issue, President Trump emphasized to President Putin that Iran does not have much time left to make a decision, and conveyed his position that "Iran must not possess nuclear weapons." He added, "I believe we were in agreement on this."

He explained, "President Putin will participate in discussions with Iran, and he indicated that he could help find a swift solution."

President Trump stressed, "Iran has been moving slowly in making a decision on this very important issue (the nuclear issue)," and added, "We will demand an answer within a very short period of time."

The United States and Iran are negotiating over issues such as the suspension of uranium enrichment linked to Iran's nuclear weapons development and the lifting of sanctions.