Donald Trump has warned that Vladimir Putin is preparing to retaliate following a devastating drone strike by Ukraine that reportedly destroyed a large portion of Russia’s air force.
Trump said he spoke with the Russian leader by phone for around an hour and 15 minutes, discussing the surprise airfield attacks and broader global tensions, including Iran’s nuclear programme.
In a post on his Truth Social platform – which has since been deleted – Trump described the conversation as “good” but admitted it was “not a conversation that will lead to immediate peace”.
Trump said Putin was adamant that Moscow would respond to Ukraine’s unprecedented aerial assault, which took out over one-third of Russia’s warplanes in a single coordinated mission dubbed Operation Spider’s Web.
“He will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields,” Trump quoted Putin as saying, suggesting a serious escalation could be imminent.
The airstrike, carried out on Sunday, has been compared to the scale and shock of Pearl Harbor, and was reportedly the result of 18 months of covert planning by Ukrainian military intelligence.
Putin did not appear publicly for two days following the attack, raising speculation about internal fallout in the Kremlin and whether Russia is preparing a large-scale counter-offensive.
Despite claiming to have facilitated dialogue between Russia and Ukraine, Trump did not confirm if he attempted to dissuade Putin from seeking revenge during the call.
Last week, the Republican frontrunner said he would be able to determine within two weeks whether Putin was serious about peace talks – though he has yet to explain how he would make that assessment.
In the same Truth Social post, Trump said their discussion also turned to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, revealing that the US had made a new offer allowing Iran to continue low-level uranium enrichment under international supervision.
He said both he and Putin agreed that Iran must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, adding that the Russian president appeared open to helping secure a diplomatic resolution.
Trump accused Tehran of “slowwalking their decision” and insisted that the US and its allies “need a definitive answer in a very short period of time” as tensions in the region grow.
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