Vladimir Putin Thanks President Trump for Helping to Foil Acts of Terrorism on Russian Soil

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has thanked President Donald Trump for intelligence that helped foil “acts of terrorism” on Russian soil, a Kremlin statement announces.

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump spoke on the phone on December 29, the statement said.

According to the Kremlin, the information came via intelligence services, but it provided no further details.

Russian media is reporting the discovery of a plot to attack St Petersburg over the New Year period.

According to Tass news agency, two Russian nationals have been arrested and plans to attack a mass gathering were seized, according to a spokesperson from the FSB, the Russian intelligence agency.

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President Putin and President Trump have spoken on the phone and in person various times since the latter took office.

Records from the conversations show they have often talked about Syria, as well as nuclear agreements, North Korea and trade.

In December 2017, Vladimir Putin thanked President Trump for another warning from US intelligence agencies, which again apparently prevented a terrorist plot in St Petersburg, according to a White House account.

During that call, the Kremlin said President Putin had promised to reciprocate with information about terrorist threats to the US.

The US and Russian relations plummeted after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from neighboring Ukraine in 2014.

They were also strained when US intelligence agencies concluded that Russia had interfered in the 2016 presidential election.

Despite this, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have appeared to be on good terms personally – and they have vowed to co-operate on terrorism.

President Trump has indicated he is considering attending the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow next May, after an invitation from President Putin.