Trump offered to help Putin with Siberia wildfires engulfing millions of hectares, Kremlin reveals

Russian president sees call as sign damaged ties can be restored

Vladimir Putin told Donald Trump Moscow would take him up on his offer if necessary, Kremlin says (ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/AFP/Getty Images)

Donald Trump offered to help his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to put out vast wildfires raging across Siberia, the Kremlin has revealed.

The US and Russian presidents spoke by phone at Washington’s initiative in a move Mr Putin took as a sign that damaged ties can be restored, the Kremlin said.

The fires have to spread around 3 million hectares of mostly remote forest – an area almost the size of Belgium – according to the Federal Forestry Agency.

They have spread smoke across Siberia and prompted several regions to declare states of emergency.

“The US president offered Russia cooperation in fighting forest fires in Siberia,” the Kremlin statement said. “President Putin expressed his sincere gratitude for such an attentive attitude and for the offer of help and support.”

Mr Putin told Mr Trump Moscow would take him up on his offer if necessary, the Kremlin said.

It added: “The Russian president took this step from the US president as a sign that in the future we can restore full-scale ties between our two countries.”

The two leaders agreed to continue their contacts over the phone and in face-to-face meetings, the Kremlin said.

The White House confirmed the two men had spoken by phone and said they had discussed the wildfires as well as trade between their two nations.

Relations between Russia and the US remain strained following Moscow’s interventions in Syria and Ukraine, along with allegations of Russian interference in the US presidential election – which the Kremlin has denied.

Additional reporting by Reuters