Moscow: United States President Donald Trump held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin late on Monday, discussing the Iran conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war amid global energy disruptions caused by American-Israeli strikes on Iran and the resulting closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, the hour-long call focused on the escalating conflict involving the United States and Iran, as well as trilateral discussions between Moscow, Washington and Kyiv aimed at resolving the Ukraine war.
“The conversation focused on the Iran conflict and the trilateral talks between Moscow, Washington and Kyiv aimed at settling the Ukraine conflict. The dialogue between the two presidents was business-like, open and constructive,” Ushakov said while briefing Kremlin pool reporters shortly before midnight.
During the call, Putin shared his views on the ongoing developments in Iran and briefed Trump about his recent conversations with leaders of Gulf states and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held last week.
“Trump, in turn, expressed his opinion about the situation. They had a very substantive discussion on the issue,” Ushakov added.
The conversation marked the 11th phone call between the two leaders and their first this year. Their previous discussion took place in December, Ushakov noted.
Trump’s call came hours after Putin convened a meeting with senior energy officials and stated that Russia remained a reliable energy partner for friendly countries such as India and China. Putin also said Moscow was prepared to resume long-term energy supplies to the European Union if the bloc agreed to lift sanctions.
Putin warned that the continuing conflict in West Asia could significantly disrupt global oil and gas flows, particularly due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime route for energy shipments.
In a televised meeting at the Kremlin on Monday evening, Putin said the crisis could halt oil production in the Gulf region and lead to a new reality in global energy prices.
“Moscow remains a reliable energy supplier. It will continue to provide oil and gas to the nations it sees as reliable partners,” Putin said.
According to local media reports, the United States may consider easing certain sanctions on Russian hydrocarbon exports to stabilise global markets, as consumers in both the United States and Europe are already experiencing rising energy costs.
Business daily Kommersant reported on Tuesday that India could significantly increase its purchases of Russian crude following Washington’s 30-day waiver allowing Indian refiners to buy Russian seaborne oil.
“Russia could nearly double its oil supplies to India after the United States granted licences to Indian refineries to purchase crude shipped by tankers. India is seeking additional volumes due to supply disruptions from the Middle East, and discounts on Russian crude have already turned into premiums,” the newspaper wrote, citing analysts.
With PTI inputs