Trump said he had a “very good” conversation with Putin and reported the lifting of some oil sanctions against “some countries”

The US President Donald Trump said he had a "very good conversation" with Putin about the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East.

He said this at a press conference on March 9.

Trump noted that there is "tremendous hatred" between Putin and Zelensky, so they cannot find common ground, but called the conversation "positive".

Also, as Trump says, Putin "wants to be useful" in resolving the conflict in the Middle East.

“I said, ʼYou could be more helpful if you ended the war between Ukraine and Russia. That would be more helpful,’” the American president noted.

Separately, he reported a partial lifting of sanctions against certain countries in order to lower oil prices.

"Weʼre also lifting some of the sanctions related to oil to bring down prices. We have sanctions on some countries, so weʼll lift them until the situation is resolved. And then, who knows, maybe we wonʼt put them back," Trump said.

He did not specify which sanctions and countries he was referring to, but Reuters previously reported, citing sources, that the US presidential administration is considering easing oil sanctions against Russia to help contain the rise in global energy prices caused by fighting in the Middle East.

Earlier, the US Treasury Department granted India a 30-day authorization to purchase Russian oil. The decision came after months of pressure from Washington to reduce energy imports from Russia.

• On March 9, global oil prices rose sharply and exceeded $100 per barrel for the first time in almost four years amid fighting in the Middle East.

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