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Trump dismisses Putin’s offer of help on Iran

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by Laura Kelly - 04/29/26 3:00 PM ET

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by Laura Kelly - 04/29/26 3:00 PM ET

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President Trump on Wednesday said he asked Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call for a ceasefire in Ukraine and also discussed the U.S. war against Iran.

Trump said Putin offered to help with “enrichment,” presumably in reference to the idea that Russia could take about 1,000 pounds of enriched uranium, the fuel needed for a nuclear weapon, from Iran.

Russia recently discussed with Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the possibility of removing Iran’s highly enriched uranium from the country.

“We talked more about the war in Ukraine, but he’d like to be of help [with Iran] — I said before you help, we want to end your war,” Trump said of Putin’s offer.

The president addressed reporters in the Oval Office while hosting the astronauts of the Artemis II space mission.

Trump said he asked Putin for a “little bit of a ceasefire” in Ukraine.

Yury Ushakov, an aide to Putin, told Russian news agency TASS that Putin proposed a ceasefire during “Victory Day” celebrations, the May 9 holiday in Russia that commemorates the 1945 Soviet victory over Nazi Germany.

Putin had earlier agreed to a 32-hour ceasefire in April during the Orthodox Easter holiday, but Moscow and Kyiv each accused the other of violations.

An official with the office of the president of Ukraine said the details of what was discussed must be clarified before responding to Putin’s and Trump’s remarks.

Trump said he viewed the U.S. war against Iran and Russia’s war against Ukraine on similar timelines toward ending.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Putin has made demands for ending the war contingent on Ukraine handing over territory and recognizing Russia’s occupation of such territory.

The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday reported Trump is signaling he wants to maintain the U.S. blockade against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.

While the U.S. is blocking Iranian oil tankers and commercial vessels from exiting the strait, Iran has held global shipping hostage by threatening to attack ships that don’t coordinate with its military in transiting the strait.

“They have to cry uncle, that’s all they have to do,” Trump said of Iran. “Just say, ‘We give up. We give up.’ But their economy is really in trouble.”

Escalating gas prices have put pressure on Trump to end the war in a midterm election year where the GOP majorities in the House and Senate are on the line.

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