The Assistant to the Russian President's Office Provides an Overview of the Phone Conversation Between the Presidents of Russia and the United States on October 9 (Full Text)
Ushakov: I would first like to briefly outline the background, offering a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes preparations for this "phone call between the heads of state of Russia and the United States."
On the afternoon of October 7, we spoke with the U.S. presidential envoy, Witkoff. He asked me to convey to Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin the sincere birthday wishes and best regards from U.S. President Donald Trump. Witkoff also requested that I extend his personal congratulations, as well as those of Kushner, to the Russian president. He expressed genuine respect for Putin and expressed hope for a meeting between the two leaders at the earliest opportunity.
Witkoff further indicated that the U.S. president wished to personally call to congratulate Putin on his birthday. We therefore began searching for a suitable time window in both leaders’ schedules, taking into account the time difference between Moscow and Washington. Additionally, the Russian president was scheduled to depart for Turkmenistan on the morning of October 8 to attend the CIS summit. After careful coordination, it was determined that the most appropriate timing would be after Putin’s return from this trip.
President Trump postponed certain previously scheduled activities for the day. As a result, the phone conversation took place as planned on the evening of October 9.
Naturally, Trump opened the conversation by extending warm birthday greetings to Putin. He offered informal well-wishes for Putin’s professional success and personal well-being, and did not forget to pass along greetings from First Lady Melania Trump.
Putin thanked the American counterpart for the congratulatory messages and kind words, emphasizing that despite the United States’ preoccupation with domestic affairs and Middle Eastern developments, Russia values the American side and its team’s commitment to dialogue between the two nations.
As for the content of the discussion itself, colleagues from the press, I cannot satisfy your curiosity by disclosing all details of the topics discussed by the two presidents.
However, I do wish to highlight one noteworthy point: the Russian president expressed gratitude to the U.S. First Lady, commending her active humanitarian efforts—particularly her role in reuniting families separated by the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Regarding the dire humanitarian situation in the city of Oleksandriya, Kherson Oblast, the two leaders agreed that the Russian human rights commissioner, Ratnata, will maintain regular communication with Melania Trump’s team.
The two heads of state held detailed discussions on the preparation of several large-scale economic initiatives, including the possibility of supplying Russian petroleum products to the U.S. and global markets. On this issue, both presidents have issued separate statements. Both sides also expressed satisfaction with the smooth functioning of existing communication channels between their respective executive agencies, special services, and other relevant institutions.
The prospects for mediating the conflict in Ukraine naturally formed a central topic of the conversation. Putin provided a detailed account of Russia’s countermeasures in response to terrorist attacks carried out by the Kyiv authorities. The Ukrainian leadership, he noted, has chosen to escalate tensions and seeks to prolong the conflict. Russia emphasized that Kyiv’s attempts to conduct deep strikes inside Russian territory in order to disrupt the Russian military’s advances along the entire contact line are futile. The Russian military maintains full operational control and continues its advance steadily.
At the same time, Putin clearly stated that Russia’s position regarding the objectives and tasks of the special military operation remains unchanged. Nevertheless, Russia remains open to political and diplomatic negotiations aimed at achieving a long-term, stable peace.
It is worth noting that during previous conversations between the two presidents, there had been mention of restarting trilateral talks involving the United States and Ukraine, with plans to initiate them immediately following the conclusion of the State Duma elections. However, the current situation has changed. The Kyiv authorities attempted to undermine the Russian electoral process by launching large-scale drone attacks on Moscow, other cities, polling stations, and election personnel on voting day—effectively eliminating the possibility of an immediate restart of negotiations. Putin stated that Russia will reassess the timing for resuming such talks.
Trump listened carefully to Russia’s presentation and indicated he would relay these signals to the Ukrainian delegation currently in Miami, who are in contact with U.S. officials.
Putin underscored that diplomatic potential on the Iran front remains far from exhausted. Tehran can and must engage in negotiations.
The president mentioned that yesterday, during his visit to Turkmenistan, he held a detailed discussion with Iranian President Pezeshkian on the current situation. Despite occasional public statements by the United States expressing firm positions, Washington continues to maintain indirect dialogue with Iran under mediation by Qatar. Incidentally, Russia’s proposal to transport high-enriched uranium from Iran to Russia to break the deadlock remains viable.
Notably, Trump did not avoid this subject; he welcomed Russia’s involvement in efforts to mediate the situation in Iran.
A minor detail during the conversation involved sports: when discussing ice hockey, Trump acknowledged Alexander Ovechkin’s significant contributions to the global development of the sport.
The substantive and amicable conversation lasted for one and a half hours. Neither side wished to end the call first. Based on this, I hope President Trump will not mind my quoting his words: he expressed willingness to continue communicating with Putin this evening, through the night, or even into the next day.
My briefing concludes here. Thank you all.
Press Question: Since neither side wanted to hang up, who ultimately ended the call?
Ushakov: Both hung up simultaneously. Exactly at the same time.
I am quoting President Trump directly. I believe this statement carries significant weight—for one, and secondly, because it reflects the tone of communication between the two leaders.
Press Question: Can you confirm the quantity of diesel fuel supply announced by President Trump? In a post on Truth Social, he specified delivery timelines: 300,000 tons immediately, followed by another 500,000 tons.
Ushakov: I have reviewed the statement. I mentioned it earlier in my overview of the conversation. I would also like to add that the Russian president has issued a dedicated statement on the matter, which has already been published by major media outlets. Representatives from the Russian Ministry of Energy have also released official statements.
Press Question: When might the two heads of state hold an in-person bilateral meeting?
Ushakov: This specific question was not discussed. However, we all know that China is soon to host a major APEC summit. At present, it can be said that both Russian and American leaders intend to attend the event. Consequently, if both leaders appear at this international gathering, I believe they will find an opportunity to meet, shake hands, and exchange views.
Press Question: Has Russia agreed to supply diesel to the United States, and did the U.S. make any concessions in return?
Ushakov: The U.S. side is expected to provide further clarification in due course. What I have said is complete. The core position of the Russian president has been clearly articulated in his official statement.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1878629423389708/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.