Felixnews.com – Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a telephone conversation that was described as open and constructive. The two discussed international conflicts that are currently heating up, including the war involving Iran and the conflict in Ukraine.
The Kremlin described the conversation, which lasted about an hour on Monday (March 9, 2026), as the first communication between the two leaders since December 2025. According to Putin’s diplomatic adviser, Yuri Ushakov, the conversation was initiated at the request of Washington.
Ushakov said the main topics of discussion highlighted the conflict with Iran and the ongoing negotiations between Russia and the United States regarding the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine.
“The emphasis of the talks was placed on the situation surrounding the conflict with Iran and the ongoing bilateral negotiations with representatives of the United States regarding the resolution of the Ukrainian issue,” Ushakov said, as quoted by Russian news agencies.
During the talks, Putin also called for a swift resolution through political and diplomatic channels to the war involving the United States and Israel against Iran. According to Ushakov, Iran has long been known as one of Russia’s important allies in the Middle East.
Ushakov added that Washington wanted to use the talks to discuss various important issues related to the developing international situation. “The conversation was serious and constructive,” he said.
In addition, Putin also briefed Trump on the latest developments on the Ukrainian front. He said Russian forces were making significant progress in their military operations in the conflict zone. Putin also reportedly gave a positive assessment of Trump’s mediation efforts to help resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Trump told reporters that the conversation with Putin was positive despite the tense situation between Russia and Ukraine. “There is a lot of hatred between President Putin and the President of Ukraine,” Trump said, referring to Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to Trump, it is still difficult for the two leaders to find common ground. However, he believes that the conversation with Putin still sends a positive signal for conflict resolution efforts. “They don’t seem to be able to reach an agreement yet, but I think it was a positive call in that regard,” Trump said.
In addition to discussing the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump also said Putin expressed his desire to help defuse the conflict involving Iran in the Middle East. Trump admitted that he responded to the statement by suggesting that Russia first focus on resolving the conflict with Ukraine.
“I said, ‘You could be more helpful by ending the Russia-Ukraine war. That would be far more helpful,’” Trump said during a press conference at his golf club in Florida.
Previously, a number of diplomatic meetings had been held between Russian and US officials, as well as trilateral meetings involving Russia, the US, and Ukraine. However, these efforts have yet to produce a meaningful breakthrough towards achieving a ceasefire.
Diplomatic relations between the two leaders had also previously been marked by direct meetings. Putin and Trump are known to have held a high-level meeting in Alaska in August 2025 to discuss various global strategic issues.
This latest conversation shows that communication between Moscow and Washington is still ongoing amid various geopolitical conflicts that affect regional and global stability.