**US President Trump Ditches Putin’s Mediation Offer: “Mediate Russia First, Okay?”**
In a surprise move, US President Donald Trump has turned down Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer to mediate the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. The rejection came just days after Trump said he was open to the idea of Putin serving as a mediator.
Speaking with reporters on June 18, Trump mocked Putin’s offer, saying “I spoke to him yesterday, and, you know, he actually offered to help mediate. I said, do me a favor. Mediate your own.” He added, “Let’s mediate Russia first, okay? I said, Vladimir, let’s mediate Russia first. You can worry about this later.”
This latest development comes after Putin had offered his services as a mediator between Israel and Iran following a recent phone call with Trump. However, the US president’s change of heart may be due to growing criticism from US allies over the potential implications of having Russia involved in mediating the conflict.
**Putin’s Mediation Offer Gets Thumbs Down**
While Putin had earlier condemned Israel’s air strikes on Iran and offered Russian mediation, his efforts have been met with skepticism by several Western leaders. French President Emmanuel Macron said that Russia “cannot be a mediator” given its ongoing war against Ukraine. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas echoed this sentiment, stating that Putin “cannot be trusted to mediate peace” while continuing to wage war on Ukrainian civilians.
The Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, claimed that Israel had shown little interest in accepting Moscow’s mediation, but the Israeli government has not publicly commented on the offer.
**Ukraine Speaks Out**
In related news, Ukraine has warned that Iran is a “source of problems” both regionally and globally. The country has been targeted by thousands of Iranian-made Shahed drones and missiles supplied to Russia. Despite this, the US president has continued to avoid placing additional sanctions on Moscow, even as the Kremlin refuses to agree to a ceasefire in its war against Ukraine.
The conflict between Israel and Iran continues to escalate, with the US president’s latest rebuke of Putin’s mediation ambitions adding further uncertainty to an already volatile situation.
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