Putin could participate in Iran talks and will retaliate against Ukraine attack, Trump says

Time is running out for Iran to make a deal, US President says

US President Donald Trump said the phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin lasted one hour and 15 minutes. AFP

President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on Wednesday, with the US leader saying the Russian President told him he wanted to participate in Iran nuclear talks and that he would retaliate against Ukraine’s recent drone attack.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said that the phone call lasted more than hour, and that the two leaders agreed Iran could not have a nuclear weapon.

"President Putin suggested that he will participate in the discussions with Iran and that he could, perhaps, be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion," Mr Trump said.

"Time is running out on Iran’s decision pertaining to nuclear weapons, which must be made quickly!"

The post also said Iran has been "slow walking" talks.

Screengrab of President Donald Trump's post following his conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin

Iran and the US have been engaged in negotiations on a new deal that would put limits on its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.

The US wants Iran to cease enriching uranium under a possible new deal, but Tehran says its programme is for civilian purposes and it has the right to continue.

Earlier on Wednesday, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said a US proposal for a nuclear deal ran counter to Tehran's national interests, and that his country would not abandon uranium enrichment.

Though Mr Trump said the call "was a good conversation", Mr Putin vowed to retaliate after Kyiv attacked Russian planes, and as a result, there would be no "immediate peace".

Mr Putin "did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields", the US President wrote in his post.

This is a stark turn around for Mr Trump, who took office this year on a promise to swiftly end the war in Ukraine.

On Monday, delegates from Russia and Ukraine met briefly in Istanbul for a new round of talks.

The day before, Kyiv unleashed a surprise drone offensive that hit Russian airfields across the country, taking out many heavy bombers and surveillance planes.

The development comes after the White House on Tuesday confirmed that Mr Trump would attend the Nato summit this month, a meeting that is expected to be dominated by the war in Ukraine. The meetings will come shortly after Mr Trump is set to attend the Group of Seven leaders' summit in Canada, where allies are also expected to discuss ways to end the conflict.

During a press briefing on Tuesday White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the President "remains positive at the progress" in the talks.