Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that resolving the ongoing three-year conflict with Ukraine requires trust-building measures between Russia and the United States.
Speaking to journalists in Saint Petersburg on February 19, Putin expressed satisfaction with recent high-level talks between American and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, considering them a "first step" toward improving strained relations between Moscow and Washington.
"Without raising the level of trust between the U.S. and Russia, solving many issues, including the Ukraine conflict, is impossible," Putin said in his televised remarks. He also expressed willingness to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump but emphasized that any such meeting should be productive.
Meanwhile, President Trump indicated on Tuesday that he "may" meet with Putin before the end of February to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
The Russian leader’s comments follow significant diplomatic discussions in Riyadh, where U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov led negotiations. These talks marked the first major diplomatic engagement between the two nations since Russia launched its military offensive against Ukraine three years ago.
The Russian state news agency Interfax quoted Putin, who was visiting a drone manufacturing plant in Saint Petersburg, saying, "I was briefed on these talks, and I assess them positively. In my view, we have taken the first step toward resuming cooperation in key areas."
Notably, Ukrainian and European officials were absent from these negotiations. However, U.S. representatives assured that Ukrainian and European leaders would be included in future discussions to end what is considered Europe's deadliest war since World War II.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has strongly objected to any talks on Ukraine that exclude Ukrainian participation, insisting that such discussions would be unacceptable. Since 2014, Russia has occupied approximately one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, with its full-scale invasion in 2022 aiming to seize the entire country. However, Ukrainian resistance ,with the help of Europe and U.S., prolonged the war, leading to near-daily aerial attacks from both sides.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine over 35 months. In contrast, Trump has emphasized ending the war quickly rather than continuing military assistance.
Recently, tensions between Trump and Zelensky escalated when Zelensky accused Trump of succumbing to Russian disinformation. In response, Trump called the Ukrainian president a "dictator without elections," referring to the fact that Zelensky’s five-year presidential term has expired. Zelensky has argued that holding elections under current wartime conditions is impractical.
Additionally, Trump criticized Zelensky for questioning Ukraine’s exclusion from the recent U.S.-Russia talks, stating, "You have been there for three years. The war should never have started in the first place."
Ahead of a meeting with a U.S. special envoy, Zelensky reiterated his concerns about Trump’s approach, stating, "Unfortunately, President Trump is surrounded by misleading information."
On the same day, Trump’s envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, visited Kyiv, stating that Washington recognizes the need for security assurances for Ukraine. He emphasized that his visit aimed to hear Ukrainian leaders’ concerns and relay them to President Trump.
Kellogg clarified that the U.S. does not intend to deploy American troops to Ukraine after the war but suggested alternative means of support, such as providing air defense systems.
The shift in the U.S. stance on Ukraine under Trump has prompted intensified diplomatic efforts among European nations. French President Emmanuel Macron hosted a European leaders' summit on Wednesday to discuss support for Ukraine.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that she and other European foreign ministers had spoken with Rubio following the U.S.-Russia talks and stressed the importance of a resolution where Ukraine plays a leading role.
"Russia will try to divide us. Let’s not fall into this trap… By working together with the United States, we can achieve a fair and lasting peace on Ukraine’s terms," Kallas wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the need for compromise, telling reporters, "The goal is to end the crisis in a fair manner and establish lasting stability acceptable to all parties involved."
