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MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump for 50 minutes on Saturday, focusing on hostilities between Israel and Iran and calling for efforts to bring them to an end.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin condemned the Israeli military operation against Iran and expressed concern about the risks of escalation.
Trump, in his account on Truth Social, said most of the discussion centered on the Middle East, but that he also told Putin that Russia’s war in Ukraine should end.
"Vladimir Putin condemned Israel’s military operation against Iran and expressed serious concern about a possible escalation of the conflict, which would have unpredictable consequences for the entire situation in the Middle East," Ushakov told reporters.
Ushakov said Trump described events in the Middle East as "very alarming". But the two leaders said they do not rule out a return to the negotiating track on Iran’s nuclear programme, Ushakov said.
Ushakov said U.S. negotiators were ready to hold further talks with Iranian representatives, with Oman as mediator. The latest round, scheduled for Sunday in Oman, has been cancelled.
The Kremlin aide said Putin told Trump that Russia stood by proposals to ease tension and resolve issues concerning Iran’s nuclear programme.
"The Russian president recalled that prior to the current rise in tension our side had proposed concrete steps intended to find mutually acceptable agreements during talks between U.S. and Iranian representatives about the Iranian nuclear programme," Ushakov said.
"Russia’s principled approach and interest in a resolution is unchanged and, as Vladimir Putin noted, we will continue to act based on this."
Trump’s account of the conversation included what amounted to his first explicit appeal for the hostilities to end.
"The call lasted approximately 1 hour," Trump wrote. "He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end."
Trump said he and Putin mostly discussed the Middle East and spent "much less time" talking about the war in Ukraine. Trump hinted at follow-up discussions on the war in Ukraine in the coming week.
On Ukraine, Ushakov said Putin told the U.S. leader that Russia was ready to continue negotiations with the Ukrainians after June 22, according to state news agency RIA.
Ushakov also said that the presidents expressed satisfaction "at their personal relations which have allowed for them to speak in a business-like manner to seek solutions to issues that are bilateral or on the international agenda, however complex those issues might be".
Putin also congratulated Trump on his 79th birthday.