Meeting of Trump and Putin: main statements
Trump's Statements:
Trump called the negotiations "very productive." He added that there are several major issues that still need to be worked out, but some progress has already been made.
"We had a very productive meeting, we discussed many issues, but we were unable to reach a full understanding — there is no agreement yet," — emphasized Trump.
The U.S. president also announced that after the meeting he plans to call NATO and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to inform them about the course of negotiations: "I am going to make a few calls and tell them what happened."
According to Trump, the meeting was "extremely productive," most issues were agreed upon, only a few remain, and only one of them he considers "the most significant," but there are good chances to reach agreements.
At the end of the meeting, Trump announced a new meeting with Putin and mentioned that it might take place in Moscow, in response to an invitation from the Russian dictator.
Putin's Statements:
Putin characterized the negotiations as "constructive" and conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect. He thanked Trump for the initiative to hold a summit in Alaska, noting that this region has a shared history for Russia and the USA. He emphasized that modern relations between the countries "have fallen to the lowest level since the Cold War," and that the meeting "has been long overdue."
According to Putin, Ukraine was a central issue of the negotiations. He reiterated that the conflict is a consequence of "fundamental threats to Russia's security," and stated that Moscow is "sincerely interested" in its resolution. For peace to be "lasting," it is necessary to eliminate "the main causes of the conflict" and consider "Russia's legitimate interests."
Putin noted that Ukraine's security must also be guaranteed, and expressed hope that the agreements reached will help "bring closer the path to peace in Ukraine."
The Russian dictator also repeatedly emphasized that the war would not have started if Trump had been president.
Putin spoke about the potential for significant expansion of cooperation between the USA and Russia, including the development of joint projects in the Arctic.
The brief press conference ended without questions from journalists.
