Vladimir Putin has proposed holding ice hockey matches between US and Russian players during his phone call with Donald Trump, according to the Kremlin.

The idea, which the Russian authorities said was supported by Mr Trump, would see special games set up in both Russia and the US with teams composed of players from each country’s top professional league.

There are around 60 Russian professional hockey players in the US and Canada’s National Hockey League, while around a dozen Americans play in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.

Details of the plan were featured at the very end of the Russian readout of the 90-minute-long call, in which Putin agreed to halt strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure for 30 days.