Vladimir Putin makes surprise call despite Donald Trump's 'p----d off' message

The Kremlin has announced that Vladimir Putin is open to the idea of another phone call with Donald Trump, following the U.S. President's recent display of irritation towards Putin due to stagnant peace discussions concerning Ukraine. Trump even went so far as to threaten tariff action.

In a weekend NBC interview, Trump didn't hold back in his criticism of the Russian leader, confessing he was "pissed off" after Putin cast doubt on Volodymyr Zelensky's legitimacy as president, despite Trump's own tense encounter with Zelensky at The White House.

Trump - who was recently urged to strike a peace deal with Russia - hinted at the possibility of imposing additional tariffs on Russian oil purchases, which could range from 25 percent to 50 percent.

Nonetheless, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has indicated that Moscow continues to keep the lines of communication open with Washington and that Putin remains ready to talk with Trump, as reported by The Independent.

Peskov mentioned that if necessary, a dialogue between the two heads of state could be arranged swiftly, although there are no plans for such a call this week, reports the Irish Star.

At the same time, Putin has issued a decree for the spring military draft aimed at bolstering his forces amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Russia's president has ordered the enlistment of no fewer than 160,000 men aged 18 to 30 into the military by the middle of summer, as per a Russian news outlet. This step is taken while he continues to delay peace negotiations with Ukraine and the United States.

Lately, Zelensky has been pressing Trump to "force Russia into peace."

Trump had previously expressed discontent with the Ukrainian President, voicing frustration over the handling of the war and the provision of aid to Kyiv. However, the 78-year-old US leader later shifted his stance and came to Zelensky's defense after being irked by Putin's remarks.

Zelensky, who recently predicted that Putin would "die soon," took note of Trump's change in tone and urged him to use his influence on Russia.

"Right now, Russia continues looking for excuses to drag this war out even further. Putin is playing the same game he has since 2014," Ukraine's President wrote on X.

"This is dangerous for everyone - and there should be an appropriate response from the United States, Europe, and all our global partners who seek peace."