Putin Tells Trump Russia Will Respond to Ukraine Drone Attacks

U.S. President Donald Trump said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for over an hour on Wednesday, discussing Ukraine’s drone attacks and the situation with Iran. Trump said Putin warned him that Russia would “have to respond” to the recent strikes on its air bases.

The conversation followed Ukraine’s long-range drone attack on June 1, which hit Russian airfields used by nuclear-capable bombers. Trump called the talk “good” but noted it would not bring “immediate peace.”

Although Trump had recently criticized Putin’s actions in Ukraine, including calling him “absolutely crazy,” he made no mention of those comments during the call. Last week, Trump also hinted at giving Putin two weeks to show progress in peace talks or risk a change in the U.S. stance.

Iran’s nuclear program was also discussed. Trump said both he and Putin agreed that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon. He added that Putin offered to assist in the ongoing talks, which have seen little progress. The U.S. has proposed that Iran stop enriching uranium and instead receive fuel from a regional supplier, but Iran has yet to respond.

Recent peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul ended without major results. Ukraine called for an unconditional ceasefire, which Russia rejected, instead offering short ceasefires in limited areas without further details.