The high-level summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, which was held in Alaska, were 'productive', said the two leaders on Friday. In a joint press conference, the two leaders said the talks were held in a "constructive and mutually respectful atmosphere" and were "very thorough and useful".
Putin says have reached an 'understanding' on Ukraine with Trump, takes a veiled dig at Biden
During the press conference, Putin said that he has reached to an 'understanding' with Trump over Ukraine, but warned Europe not to "torpedo the nascent progress". Taking a dig at former US President Joe Bide, he said that the war in Ukraine would have never started had Trump been in the White House in 2022.
"In 2022 during the last contact with the previous administration, I tried to convince my previous American colleague that the situation should not be brought to the point of no return when it comes to hostilities. I said it directly back then that it is a big mistake," said Putin in Russian.
Putin says situation in Ukraine a 'threat' to Russia
Putin said that the internal situation in Ukraine poses a 'fundamental threat' to Russia, stressing that the Kremlin needs to eliminate all the primary causes of the conflict. However, he said he agrees with Trump that the world needs to ensure the security of Ukraine, a move which will be welcomed by Russia.
In his remarks, the Russian leader stressed that the agreement that both sides have reached upon would pave the path towards peace in Ukraine. "We expect that Kyiv and European capitals will perceive that constructively and they won't throw a ranch in the works. They will not make any attempts to use some back-room dealings to conduct provocations to torpedo the progress," he said.
Trump to call Zelenskyy, NATO leaders
In his remarks, Trump said he would soon call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his allies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), informing them about Friday's meeting. Though Trump said the two sides have not reached on a deal over Ukraine, they have made headway for the same. Trump, however, also made it clear that "there is no deal until there is a deal".
"Some are not that significant," he said. "One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there. We didn’t get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there."
Trump talks about Russia 'hoax'
During the press conference, Trump also mentioned about investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential elections. Trump said both he and Putin know that it was just a 'hoax', adding that what was done was 'very criminal'.
Putin proposes next meet in Moscow
As the two leaders wrapped up the press conference, Trump said he would like to hold a second meeting with the Russian leader. To this, Putin replied in English, saying "next time in Moscow."
Later, Trump said, "I could see it happening."
