Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called Wednesday’s US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia a “highly” successful first step toward restoring relations between the two nuclear superpowers.
The senior-level talks, conducted on Tuesday in Riyadh, were the first formal meeting between Washington and Moscow in more than three years. The Russian President sounded optimistic about the meeting while addressing a drone manufacturing plant in Saint Petersburg.
I was informed about the negotiations. I give them high marks there is an outcome,” AFP quoted him as saying. “In my view, we have made the first step towards the resumption of work in different spheres of common interest.
Putin also mentioned that US President Donald Trump was starting to get what he called “objective information,” although he did not specify. He emphasized that restoring trust between Washington and Moscow was necessary to be able to tackle major issues, such as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
“It is impossible to resolve many problems, including the Ukrainian crisis, without raising the level of trust between Russia and the United States,” Putin said.
He also insisted that Trump had promised him Ukraine would be included in future peace negotiations. Though he stated that he is willing to see Trump, he also admitted that preparations for meeting Trump were still needed.
Trump, who has served since last month, has taken a dramatic new course in US foreign policy by deviating from the strategy pursued by his predecessor to isolate Moscow. In recent comments at a news conference, Trump took views akin to various Russian ones when he attributed blame to Kyiv for starting the war and portrayed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as unpopular.
Riyadh discussions herald a likely realignment in US-Russia relations, even if the enduring impact is open to doubt while tensions regarding Ukraine continue.
