Trump Responds to Putin’s Mediation Offer in Israeli-Iran Conflict

President Donald Trump seemed to express approval on Wednesday regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s suggestion to mediate the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

During a White House event on Tuesday, Trump discussed his recent interaction with Putin. He mentioned that the Russian leader had offered to assist in mediation efforts, saying, “Give me a favor and mediate yourself. Let’s mediate Russia first, are you okay?” Trump replied, “Vladimir, let’s mediate Russia first. We can worry about this later.”

Putin, addressing reporters on Wednesday, confirmed his willingness to help mediate between Israel and Iran. He suggested that Russia could facilitate an agreement allowing Iran to develop a private nuclear program, which would provide assurances to Israel.

Earlier, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia is prepared to act as a mediator between the conflicting nations. He commented on how serious the escalating situation is but emphasized that Russia is “ready to do everything it takes to eliminate the root cause of this crisis.”

Trump had previously indicated an openness to Putin acting as a mediator during an ABC News interview. He stated, “I’d be open to that. [Putin] is ready. He called me about it. We talked about it for a long time. We talked about this more than he was. This is something I believe will resolve.”

The former president also encouraged Putin to prioritize the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Trump has attempted to engage in peace discussions with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, though no ceasefire has been reached. He noted, “I think Putin is tired of all this. He doesn’t look good and he wants to look good.”