‘I need help with you’: Trump says he denied Putin’s offer to help on Iran

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had called him to offer assistance in dealing with the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, but he redirected the conversation to focus on the war in Ukraine. “Vladimir called me up. He said, ‘Can I help you with Iran?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t need help with Iran. I need help with you'”, Trump told journalists en route to the Nato summit.Trump added that he hoped to strike a deal with Russia soon, remarking, “Six thousand soldiers died last week,” in reference to ongoing battlefield losses in Ukraine. He did not offer further details about what such a deal might include or the status of talks.The comments came as Trump was en route to the Nato summit in The Hague, where he is set to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines. The two leaders have had a tense relationship in the past, and summit organisers have deliberately shortened the main working session to avoid any high-profile confrontations, according to news agency AFP.As per The Kyiv Independent, Russia has launched a new summer offensive in Ukraine, disregarding Kyiv’s calls for an unconditional ceasefire. Trump’s push for a peace deal comes as he continues to question the level of US financial support to Ukraine and remains sceptical of Kyiv’s war aims, reportedly believing Ukraine’s expectations are “unrealistic” given the current situation on the ground.Meanwhile, Nato allies are preparing to adopt a new defence spending pledge of 5 per cent of GDP, 3.5 per cent for core military needs and 1.5 per cent for broader security, to ensure continued US support. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the plan as “historic,” and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte praised Trump for “bringing everyone on board,” AFP reported.Still, Trump has stirred unease among Nato partners. During his flight to The Hague, he refused to explicitly affirm his commitment to Nato’s Article 5 mutual defence clause, saying, “Depends on your definition. There’s numerous definitions of Article Five,” a remark likely to alarm allies already wary of his unpredictable stance.He also lashed out at Spain for initially resisting the new defence spending plan, posting, “Spain threatens to derail Nato summit,” and complaining about its “very unfair” position. Spain eventually agreed after a €10 billion increase to meet Nato’s existing 2 per cent target.Trump’s overture to Putin also comes as Russia continues to deepen its military and nuclear cooperation with Iran. Moscow has relied heavily on Iranian Shahed drones in its campaign against Ukraine, while the two nations have cooperated in advancing nuclear capabilities under Western sanctions.Zelenskyy, speaking in The Hague ahead of his meeting with Trump, reaffirmed Ukraine’s position and said, “Russia must see that Ukraine will not be left alone and that Europe will not back down.” However, under pressure from the US, Nato is not expected to mention Ukraine’s membership aspirations in the summit’s final communiqué.