Trump says no to Putin’s Iran offer: I need help with you instead. Watch

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, had offered to help him with Iran. However, Trump revealed that he instead asked Putin for help in resolving the ongoing war in Ukraine, signalling his intent to broker yet another truce.

“You know, I would like to see a deal with Russia. As you know, Vladimir called me up and asked, ‘Can I help you with Iran?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t need help with Iran. I need help with you,'” Trump told journalists aboard Air Force One.

When asked if he would meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO Summit in the Netherlands, he said, “Yeah, probably I’ll see him.” When probed further about what he would ask him, he replied, “How you doing?” adding, “He’s in a tough situation. Should’ve never been there.”

After striking a peace “deal” between Israel and Iran, Trump said he was hopeful of achieving a similar feat to end the three-year-old war between Ukraine and Russia.

“Six thousand soldiers died last week,” he added.

Resuming negotiations after a gap of more than three years, the two sides held face-to-face talks in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2 that led to a series of prisoner exchanges and the return of the bodies of dead soldiers.

But they have made no progress towards a ceasefire which Ukraine, with Western backing, has been pressing for. Russia says it wants a final settlement, not just a pause in the fighting, and is insisting on territorial and other demands that Ukraine says would be tantamount to capitulation.

The conflict has intensified in recent weeks, with Russia carrying out some of its heaviest air attacks of the war and Ukraine mounting surprise drone strikes on airfields on June 1 that inflicted serious damage on Russia’s nuclear-capable bomber fleet.

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Inputs from Reuters

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