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June 14, 2026
19:30

Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov: President of Russia Vladimir Putin telephoned the US President today to extend birthday greetings on his 80th birthday. The conversation was friendly and candid, lasting just under an hour - 55 minutes to be precise.

As you might expect, it was not merely an exchange of pleasantries. President Trump heard more than kind words and good wishes: the leaders also discussed key issues relating to the current international situation, the development of Russia-US relations, and possible future contacts between representatives of both sides.

As for the greetings, they were informal and reflected the nature of the personal relationship between the two leaders. The Russian President made no secret of his respect for Donald Trump's fighting spirit, his ability to withstand blows, successfully overcome obstacles, and persistently pursue his goals.

Incidentally, the Russian President also sent a birthday message in which he highlighted the exceptional character traits of the man he was honouring - traits that contribute to his success both as a person and as a politician. Donald Trump was touched by the remarks and thanked Vladimir Putin, noting that he was the first foreign leader to call him at the White House.

I would like to emphasise again that the conversation was informal and, I might add, not without a touch of humour. I will even let you in on a secret: Donald Trump is not entirely thrilled by the number 80, as he is full of energy and vigour.

I should also mention that Vladimir Putin naturally extended his best wishes to First Lady Melania Trump, praising her role in reuniting Russian and Ukrainian children with their families. Donald Trump, in turn, conveyed his wife's greetings and gratitude for the assistance she had received from Russia.

To conclude the ceremonial congratulatory part of my remarks, I will note that Vladimir Putin thanked Donald Trump for his warm congratulatory message on Russia Day, which expressed respect for the Russian people.

Naturally, the conversation also touched on the situation surrounding the memorandum of understanding being drafted between the United States and Iran. Donald Trump said an agreement was close and expressed hope that the results of the difficult but ultimately successful negotiations could be announced today. He acknowledged that the road to agreement had been arduous, with many obstacles encountered - and not only from the Iranian leadership. Ultimately, however, the efforts of American negotiators, with the assistance of Pakistani and Qatari mediators, produced an acceptable outcome. Mr Trump expressed gratitude for Russia's involvement and, in particular, for its proposals aimed at finding constructive solutions.

On our part, we expressed satisfaction with the United States' apparent ability to curb the conflict that may have set the entire region ablaze and even expand beyond the region. President Putin noted his readiness to keep working in favour of stabilising the situation and handling deeply rooted issues that are still to be seriously addressed.

As regards the conflict in Ukraine, Donald Trump once again stressed the importance of ceasing hostilities. He claimed that he is ready to influence both his European partners and Kiev, including during the upcoming contacts at the G7 summit. The recent strikes targeting civilian facilities on Russian territory certainly complicate the resolution process, which was noted. President Trump also said that sooner completion of the war could open up prospects for giving Russia-US relations a new quality.

On his part, Vladimir Putin communicated the message that no attempts by the Kiev regime to strike Russia's civilian infrastructure can overturn the situation on the battlefield, which is critical for Ukraine. There is no doubt that in Évian-les-Bains, the Europeans and Zelensky will try to paint the exact opposite picture and will only be able to propose ideas that drag out the conflict and prolong the hostilities. Zelensky himself should be told that, instead of reburying Nazi criminals with honours, he'd better remember the tragedy of the Holocaust. Should the chief of the Kiev regime mention a potential meeting with the Russian leader again, as we said in the past, he is free to come to Moscow if he wants a meeting.

It is indicative that, responding to these words, Donald Trump spoke about the alliance between our two countries during World War II. He said that this alliance simply must not be forgotten.

Colleagues, I think I have outlined the key points from the telephone conversation. I should also mention that, recalling the success of FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia, Vladimir Putin wished success to the American organisers of this year's championship.

And one last thing. It was agreed that the US President's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are currently deeply involved in Iranian affairs, will come to Russia again in the near future.

Question: Were any gifts sent?

Yury Ushakov: No gifts were sent but, as I have already said, the greetings were quite warm and reflective of the relations between the two presidents.

Source: Globalsecurity.org