Putin halts event to take Trump's call: ‘awkward to make him wait,’ says Russian President; watch video

When Trump calls, even Putin takes notice. The Russian president abruptly exited a major event to answer a phone call from former U.S. President Donald Trump, stating it would be “awkward to make him wait” and risk offending the famously impatient American leader.

"Please don't be angry. I understand that we could talk more. But it's so awkward to make him (Trump) wait, he could get offended," Putin remarked while excusing himself mid-event.



According to Trump, the two had an extended phone conversation on Thursday, during which they discussed various global issues, including the ongoing war in Ukraine and the situation in Iran. "We had a call. It was a pretty long call. We talked about a lot of things, including Iran. We also talked about the war with Ukraine," Trump said.

However, Trump expressed his disappointment over the lack of progress in their discussion regarding a peace deal on Ukraine. "I am not happy about that... No, I didn't make any progress with him (Russian President Putin) today," he added.


The Kremlin confirmed that the call lasted nearly an hour, with President Putin reiterating Russia’s steadfast stance on its objectives. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov stated, "Our president said that Russia will achieve the aims it set, that is to say the elimination of the root causes that led to the current state of affairs. Russia will not give up on these aims," as reported by AFP.

The conversation took place amid a temporary halt in U.S. arms shipments to Kyiv and increasing pressure on European nations to boost their support. During the call, Putin also emphasized the need for diplomacy in the Middle East following recent U.S. strikes on Iran.

[With TOI inputs]