President Trump offered Russian President Vladimir Putin help from the U.S. in fighting wildfires in Siberia, a gesture that Mr. Putin views as a step toward fully restoring bilateral relations, Moscow said Wednesday night.
The Russian Embassy in Washington posted an account of the phone call on its Facebook page, saying Mr. Trump in the phone call with Mr. Putin “offered assistance to Moscow in fighting wildfires in Siberia.” It quoted a statement from the Kremlin’s press service.
“According to the statement, Putin has informed the U.S. president that a large air group has been deployed in Siberia to fight forest fires, adding that he would use Trump’s offer of assistance if necessary,” the embassy said.
The embassy’s Facebook post said, “The Russian president viewed Trump’s offer as a sign that fully-fledged bilateral relations could be restored in the future, according to a Kremlin statement. In addition, Putin and Trump agreed to continue contacts through phone calls and personal meetings, the statement said.”
The White House later confirmed that Mr. Trump spoke Wednesday with Mr. Putin and “expressed concern over the vast wildfires afflicting Siberia. The leaders also discussed trade between the two countries.”
Wildfires have burned nearly 7 million acres of the Siberian forests.
