Pressed on latest Putin interactions, Trump prefers secrecy to transparency
There were some hopes that U.S. and Iranian officials would try to advance the diplomatic process over the weekend, but neither country sent a delegation to Islamabad. This leaves an uncertain dynamic in which the hot war is paused, but hardly any meaningful efforts are underway to work toward a resolution.
Iran’s foreign minister is expected to travel to Russia to meet with Vladimir Putin on Monday, and the conversation is likely to be of interest to the White House. With this in mind, Trump spoke to Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich on Sunday morning for a live telephone interview, and the host asked whether he’d spoken with the Russian leader recently. “I have,” the president replied.
As the exchange continued, Heinrich added, “What was the last conversation you had with Putin?”
HEINRICH: You referenced Ukraine. Have you spoken with President Putin at all recently?TRUMP: I have. We’re trying to get something done. I settled eight wars.HEINRICH: What was the last conversation you had with Putin?TRUMP: I don’t want to reveal that.— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-04-26T15:37:30.085Z
“Well, I don’t want to reveal that,” Trump replied, failing to explain why he believes their conversation needed to be kept secret.
Let’s not forget that the White House routinely discloses interactions between the president and world leaders, and Trump frequently uses his social media platform to boast about his conversations with foreign heads of state, including recent talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
But asked about his latest chat with Putin, Trump doesn’t want to “reveal” that, for reasons he also doesn’t feel the need to share.
If this sounds at all familiar, it’s because