Russian President Vladimir Putin reached out to U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday with birthday congratulations, praising him as an exceptional leader and expressing optimism about the future of relations between their two countries.
“Dear Mr. President, dear Donald, I wholeheartedly congratulate you, such a bright, remarkable person and politician, on your 80th birthday!” Putin wrote in a message posted to the Kremlin’s official website, which was also cited by Russian news outlets.
The two heads of state spoke over the phone for 55 minutes, according to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, who described Putin’s congratulations during the call as delivered in an “informal” way.
In his written message, Putin said he “valued the mutual understanding between us, which allows us to discuss … even the most complex issues on the bilateral and international agenda openly and frankly.”
Putin went on to express confidence in what the two leaders could accomplish together, writing: “I am certain that together we could truly give Russian-American relations a new quality, and also do much to ensure security and stability on the world stage.”
The last time the two presidents met face-to-face was in Alaska in August 2025, as part of efforts to work toward a resolution to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
