The presidents discussed the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine, with both parties expressing satisfaction with the discussions.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump held his first conversation this year with Russian President Vladimir Putin, The Caspian Post reports, citing foreign media.

“I had a very good talk with him (…) we discussed Ukraine, which is simply an endless struggle (…). There is tremendous hatred between President Putin and President Zelensky; they just can’t come to an agreement. But it was a positive conversation on that matter,” said Donald Trump. The discussion was also reported to have covered the situation in Iran.

Vladimir Putin declared his willingness to help end the war. The US President supposedly responded with a snarky remark: “You could be more helpful if you ended the war between Ukraine and Russia.” The Russian president was also said to be “impressed” by the US military achievements in Iran. The Kremlin announced that the conversation had taken place at the initiative of the American side. Putin reportedly presented several proposals aimed at accelerating the resolution of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Among other things, he suggested establishing contact with the leaders of the Gulf states and with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The Russian side also described the conversation as “very substantive.”

The two leaders did not discuss the alleged Russian intelligence support for Iran. Trump claimed that any assistance from Russia, if it indeed occurred, was not a significant contribution to Tehran.

The conversation and its tone illustrate how Donald Trump perceives US-Russian relations. His approach differs markedly from that of the previous administration, which viewed Russia unequivocally as an aggressor and a state hostile to the West-and therefore to the United States. The decisions made by Donald Trump so far suggest that he does not identify himself with the broader Western community. It might appear that the current administration treats its relations with other countries in purely pragmatic terms, making decisions that would be most beneficial for the United States. In practice, however, it pursues a rather protectionist economic policy (such as the robust imposition of tariffs on former partners) and an aggressive foreign policy (including attempts to annex Greenland and the attack on Iran). Only after some time will we be able to tell if such policy proves itself to be efficient.