Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the Trump administration’s “energetic” efforts to cease the war in Ukraine and hinted that Moscow and Washington could strike a deal on nuclear arms management throughout their summit on Friday in Alaska.
In his first public feedback since US President Donald Trump introduced the Alaska summit, Putin on Thursday chaired a gathering of senior Russian officers on the Kremlin to temporary them on the state of play in negotiations with the US on Ukraine.
“The current American administration… is making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict,” Putin mentioned.
In his temporary remarks, Putin mentioned the summit with the US goals to “create long-term conditions for peace between our countries, as well as in Europe, and in the world as a whole.”
He steered this broader peace could be achieved if, within the “next stages” of discussions with the US, “we reach agreements in the area of control over strategic offensive weapons.”
The US and Russia agreed to restrict their arsenals of nuclear arms underneath the New START treaty, which got here into power in 2011. Under the settlement, each nations had seven years to satisfy outlined limits on the variety of deployed intercontinental-range nuclear weapons they’ll have. The treaty, nevertheless, is because of expire in February 2026.
In an indication of unease between the 2 nations, Trump this month mentioned he ordered two nuclear submarines to be strategically positioned close to Russia, in response to what he mentioned had been “highly provocative” remarks by Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and the present deputy chairman of its Security Council.
Medvedev is vulnerable to erratic outbursts on social media – typically elevating the specter of nuclear battle – however Trump mentioned he made the choice “in case these these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that.”
Also on Thursday, Yury Ushakov, Putin’s overseas coverage aide, shared extra particulars in regards to the plans for Friday’s summit, saying the presidents will first have a one-on-one dialog, with the assistance of interpreters, earlier than persevering with talks over a enterprise lunch.
The aide mentioned the talks will give attention to the struggle in Ukraine, as properly as the prospects of cooperation between Russia and the US in commerce and financial points. After the talks, the presidents will maintain a joint press convention, he mentioned.
Ushakov will probably be considered one of 5 members on Russia’s negotiating staff, together with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Kirill Dmitriev, a senior negotiator and head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund.
Ukraine and Europe haven’t been invited to the summit, elevating fears Kyiv could be compelled into undesirable concessions.
Desperate to get Trump’s ear one final time earlier than he sits down one-on-one with Putin, European leaders on Wednesday held a call with the US president.
The Europeans struck a cautiously upbeat be aware after the assembly, claiming that Trump had been sympathetic to their requires a direct ceasefire, and that Ukraine should have a seat on the desk in future negotiations.