© Ruptly
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump started with a private meeting alongside their interpreters, followed by interdelegation talks.
After that, leaders held a joint press conference. Here're major statements made by the Russian leader:
Putin described his talks with Trump as constructive and useful;
Putin called it logical to hold the summit in Alaska, as Russia and the United States are neighbors;
The Russian President said he greeted Trump as a neighbor during their meeting in Alaska;
Putin noted that Russia is grateful to the United States for its respectful treatment of the memory of Soviet soldiers buried in Alaska;
Russia-US relations have deteriorated to "the lowest point since the Cold War" in recent years, but Putin stated that he has established very good direct contacts with Trump;
▪️ The situation around Ukraine was one of the central issues of the Alaska summit, the Russian leader stated;
Russia is interested in ending the Ukrainian crisis and is ready to work on Ukraine’s security, Putin said;
Putin expressed hope that the mutual understanding reached with Trump will pave the way for peace in Ukraine;
The President hopes that Kiev and Europe will not obstruct the emerging progress in resolving the situation;
Bilateral trade between Russia and the United States has increased under Trump, and both countries have much to offer each other in areas ranging from technology to the Arctic, Putin stated;
The Russian President thanked his American counterpart for the trustful tone of their conversation;
Putin hopes that the agreements reached in Alaska will serve as a foundation for resolving the Ukrainian issue and restoring Russia-US relations;
The President expressed confidence that the war in Ukraine would not have occurred if Trump had been the US President at the time;
According to Putin, the sooner the conflict in Ukraine is resolved, "the better."
Previous Putin-Trump Summits
Putin and Trump have met six times in total, but the first full-scale two-hours meeting took place in July 2018 in Helsinki, focusing on bilateral relations, the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran, Syria and Ukraine. They agreed to continue dialogue on security and terrorism and to create a high-level group of Russian and American business leaders. However, the group was not formed.
Their last meeting was in June 2019 during the G20 summit in Osaka, lasting over an hour. They focused on improving Russia-US relations and discussed Ukraine, Iran, Syria, and Venezuela. Both sides agreed to continue arms control talks. Putin invited Trump to the 75th anniversary of Victory in World War II in 2020, which Trump initially accepted but later declined.
