U.S.
President Donald Trump and Russias Vladimir Putin expressed regret over the decline in U.S.-Russia relations during their phone call this week, while alsoreflecting on their countries World War II alliance, a senior Kremlin officialsaid Tuesday.The leaders spoke at length and warmly about how our countries were allies during World War II against Nazi Germany and militarist Japan, said Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov, according to state-run news agency TASS.Trump remembers this brotherhood in arms and said with regret that our countries are not only no longer together, but very far apart due to strange circumstances, he added.Ushakov also said Trump was deeply impressed by the Soviet Unions wartime losses an estimated 27 million deaths.
The comment followedcriticism from Russian officials after Trump claimed the U.S.
did more than any other country...
in producing a victorious result on World War II.Trump shared [with Putin] that many in America simply dont believe him, but the fact remains that Russians sacrificed their lives more than anyone else, the aide was quoted as saying.The two leaderssaid their call on Monday went very well and was substantive and quite candid,but did not mention the World War II discussion in public statements.
It was their third conversation since Trumps inauguration in January.Putin rejected calls for a 30-day ceasefire, instead proposing a memorandum with Ukraine that could form the basis of a future peace agreement.
Trump said after the call that Russian-Ukrainian talks would begin immediately.