Putin invites Trump to a new meeting in Moscow.
Trump stated that the possibility exists, although he acknowledged that he would face strong domestic political resistance if he accepted the invitation.
247 - Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a closed-door meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, on Saturday (16) that lasted more than three hours. The meeting began with a brief conversation on the red carpet, still in the airport courtyard, and ended with public statements from both leaders. The information was released by the Russian state agency. TASS.
Putin described the meeting as productive and emphasized the atmosphere of trust: "Our conversations took place in a trusting and constructive atmosphere, and were quite substantial and useful."The Russian leader recalled that, in recent years, relations between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated. "the lowest level since the Cold War"However, he stressed that both countries have much to gain from resuming dialogue.
Bilateral relations and trade
According to Putin, there has been a symbolic growth in trade between the two countries since the beginning of the Trump administration, on the order of 20%, but the potential is much greater. "Business and investment cooperation between Russia and the United States has great potential. Our countries have much to offer each other in trade, the energy sector, the digital industry, high technology, and space exploration."He also highlighted the importance of cooperation in the Arctic and the resumption of inter-regional ties, especially between the Russian Far East and the North American west coast.
The War in Ukraine
One of the main points of the meeting was the crisis in Ukraine. Putin stated that the understandings reached in Alaska could "to be the starting point for resolving the Ukraine issue and improving Russia-US relations"The Russian president highlighted: "Our country is genuinely interested in putting an end to all of this.".
Putin also said he shared Trump's view that Ukraine's security needs to be guaranteed: "We are certainly ready to work on this."In a critical tone regarding Joe Biden's administration, he added that the conflict would not have started if Trump had been president in 2022. "When President Trump says that if he had been president, there would have been no war, I am certain that is how it would have been. I can confirm this."For him, the end of the conflict must occur "The sooner, the better".
Cooperation and historical memory
The Russian leader considered the choice of Alaska as the meeting location symbolic, noting the geographical proximity between the two countries: "It makes perfect sense for us to meet here, because our countries are neighbors, despite being separated by oceans.".
Putin also thanked the United States for respecting the memory of Soviet pilots killed during World War II and buried on American soil. “We are grateful to the authorities and citizens of the USA for respecting his memory. This is a noble and dignified act.”.
Next Steps
Putin proposed that the next meeting between the two presidents take place in Moscow. Trump stated that the possibility exists, although he acknowledges that he would face strong internal political resistance if he accepted the invitation.
