Putin: Productive Meeting with Trump and the Next Phase Begins in Moscow

In a notable development in U.S.-Russian relations, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the summit he held with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska represents the beginning of normalizing relations between Moscow and Washington, praising the atmosphere of mutual respect that prevailed during the meeting.

Putin said during the joint press conference: "We have established very good direct communications with President Trump, and we sincerely wish to move beyond the phase of hostility with America and embark on dialogue and mutual cooperation."

He confirmed that relations between the two countries had reached their lowest levels in the past period, but this summit represents a first step to correct the course.

Regarding the Ukrainian issue, the Russian president explained that he conveyed Moscow's perspective on the crisis to his American counterpart, emphasizing the need to reach a "long-term settlement."

He added: "We agree with Trump on the importance of ensuring Ukraine's security, but taking into account Russia's legitimate demands," pointing out that there is a genuine desire on Trump's part to end the conflict with Kyiv.

Putin also stressed that "Ukraine and Europe must avoid provocations and conspiracies that could hinder the progress being made," in a clear reference to the need to de-escalate tensions in the region.

At the conclusion of the summit, Putin announced that "the next talks will be in Moscow," in a move indicating the continuation of dialogue at the highest levels.

For his part, U.S. President Donald Trump described the summit as "very productive," confirming that "significant progress has been made in relations with Russia," stating: "My relationship with Putin has always been great, and now we want to move beyond the disagreements and move towards tangible solutions."

Trump pledged to inform Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders about the results of the summit, affirming that Putin "really wants to end the war and stop the bloodshed."

He added: "We agreed on many points, and what remains is little," concluding his assessment of the summit by saying: "I give my meeting with Putin a 10 out of 10."

The two leaders left the press conference without taking any questions from journalists, amid a lack of precise details regarding the discussions related to the future of Ukraine.

In later statements to "Fox News," Trump reiterated his positive assessment of the summit, saying that the meeting was a "new beginning for U.S.-Russian relations."

In Moscow, the Kremlin announced that the talks between the leaders "went very well," while Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov described the atmosphere of the summit as "excellent."

Russian Ambassador to Washington Alexander Darchiev confirmed that the talks were "practical and focused on achieving results," revealing that the restoration of flights between the two countries was among the issues discussed, and that "work is underway to prepare all the necessary documents for that."

Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian special envoy, stated in an interview with Russian state television that the meeting "went very well and establishes a new phase in bilateral relations."

The summit, which the White House described as "historic," concluded after discussions lasting two hours and 45 minutes at the "Elmendorf-Richardson" military base in Anchorage, the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska.

The Russian news agency "TASS" confirmed that this meeting paves the way for the end of Russia's isolation from the West and enhances the chances for renewed international cooperation.

The next meeting will be in Moscow. All eyes are on the results of the actual talks in the coming days.