Yuri Ushakov also said that the two presidents discussed other international issues, particularly the Middle East conflict and how Russia could help deal with Iran and its nuclear program.   Related ArticleUkraine and Russia agree to swap dead and wounded troops but report no progress toward ending warPyongyang slams monitoring group's report on North Korea-Russia military cooperation   Ushakov told reporters after Putin and Trump spoke by telephone for more than an hour that Ukrainian attacks on bridges and other civilian infrastructure were an attempt to torpedo the negotiations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the war in Ukraine with Pope Leo in a telephone call on Wednesday, claiming he wanted peace through diplomacy.