Moscow is “sincerely interested in putting an end” to the ongoing hostilities, Putin stressed.
“We have always considered the Ukrainian people…fraternal, as strange as it may sound in today’s conditions. We have the same roots and everything that is happening is a tragedy and a great pain for us,” he said.
Speaking at the press conference, Trump remarked that the meeting was highly productive, although the two sides didn’t reached full agreement and no deal was finalized yet. He highlighted the significant progress made during the discussions and affirmed his strong relationship with President Putin.
Putin noted that in recent years – under the administration of Joe Biden – US-Russia relations had sunk “to their lowest point since the Cold War,” which benefits neither the two countries nor the world as a whole.
“It is obvious that sooner or later it was necessary to correct the situation and the transition from confrontation to dialogue had to take place. In this regard, a personal meeting of the heads of the two states was really overdue,” he added.
The negotiations at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson lasted nearly three hours.
The Russian delegation for the Alaska summit also included Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, and presidential economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who has been a key figure in the Ukraine settlement process.
Trump was accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
For a lasting resolution to the Ukraine conflict to be achieved, all of its root causes must be addressed, Russia’s legitimate concerns taken into account, and a fair global security balance restored, Putin said at a joint press conference with Trump.
Putin acknowledged the willingness of the US administration and Trump to engage in dialogue and seek solutions, noting their commitment to understanding the complexities of the situation.
He reiterated his view that Russians and Ukrainians are brotherly peoples and described the current circumstances as a tragedy, stressing Moscow’s sincere desire to bring the conflict to an end.
Putin said that any sustainable resolution must address the root causes of the crisis while taking into account Russia’s legitimate concerns.
“A fair balance of security in Europe and globally must be restored,” he stated.
Putin agreed with Trump that ensuring Ukraine’s security is imperative and expressed a readiness to collaborate on the issue. He expressed hope that the mutual understanding reached during the discussions will pave the way toward peace.
“We hope that this will be perceived constructively in Kiev and European capitals, and that no obstacles will be created,” Putin stressed, adding, “There should be no attempts to undermine the anticipated progress through provocations or behind-the-scenes intrigue.”