Trump tells Putin to end Ukraine war before mediating Iran-Israel
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump appeared Wednesday to rebuff Vladimir Putin's offer to mediate in the Israel-Iran conflict, saying the Russian president should end his own war in Ukraine first.
'He actually offered to help mediate. I said, 'Do me a favor, mediate your own. Let's mediate Russia first, okay?'' Trump told reporters at the White House. 'I said 'Vladimir, let's mediate Russia first, you can worry about this later.''
But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov appeared to suggest the pair had not even spoken, telling Russian state news agency TASS: 'He was speaking figuratively. Life is so eventful right now that looking back a few days is like looking back to yesterday.'
Later Wednesday Trump said a change in Iran's government 'could happen,' and also indicated that negotiations could be in the offing, without giving details.
'They want to meet, they want to come to the White House — I may do that,' Trump told reporters.
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