WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump confirmed he held another conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin after meeting European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week.
Trump acknowledged the communication when questioned by reporters about whether he had spoken to the Russian leader since their last known contact on August 18.
“Yes, I have,“ Trump responded when asked about the post-meeting discussion with Putin.
The president described his ongoing dialogue with Putin as consistently positive despite continued military actions in Ukraine.
“Every conversation I have with him is a good conversation,“ Trump stated, adding that “then, unfortunately, a bomb is loaded up into Kyiv or someplace, and I get very angry about it.”
This latest communication follows Trump’s August 15 Alaska summit with Putin aimed at negotiating an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The August 18 call occurred during Trump’s White House meetings with Zelensky and European officials, marking an interruption of those discussions.
Trump had previously claimed Putin agreed to bilateral talks with Zelensky following their last conversation, though Moscow has denied any such plans.
“Because he doesn’t like him,“ Trump explained when asked about Putin’s apparent reluctance to meet directly with the Ukrainian president.
Despite these complications, Trump expressed optimism about reaching a resolution to the ongoing conflict.
“I think we’re going to get the war done,“ he said regarding potential progress toward ending hostilities. – AFP
