Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged Ukraine and European capitals not to "create any obstacles" to progress made with US President Donald Trump at their Alaska summit, saying an "understanding" had been reached that could pave the way for peace in Ukraine.
"We hope that Kiev and European capitals will take all this in a constructive manner and will not attempt to disrupt the planned progress through provocations or behind-the-scenes intrigues," Putin said at a news conference after more than three hours of closed-door talks with Trump late on Friday.
Putin described the discussions as "constructive and useful," adding that Russia has always considered the Ukrainian people "fraternal" despite current hostilities.
Putin said the US and Russia are close neighbours, separated by mere miles, so it made sense for the summit to be held in Alaska.
He said the talks were held "in a mutually respectful atmosphere," and were "very thorough and useful."
Trump said the two leaders made "great progress" but acknowledged no agreement had been reached to end the war.
"There were many, many points that we agreed on, most of them, I would say. A couple of big ones that we haven't quite gotten there, but we've made some headway… We didn't get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there," he told reporters, without specifying the main obstacle.
He said he would soon brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders on the talks.
US-Russia ties
Putin also voiced support for improving US-Russia relations, which he said had deteriorated to "the lowest point since the Cold War," and emphasised potential cooperation in trade, high tech, space exploration, and the Arctic.
"If [Trump] had been president at the time, the conflict in Ukraine would not have started," Putin said.
Trump echoed the sentiment, highlighting areas where the two countries could work together.
Neither leader took questions from reporters, and no details of a potential deal framework were released.
Putin also thanked Trump for the "friendly" tone of the conversation they had on Friday and said Russia and the United States should "turn the page and go back to cooperation."
He praised Trump as someone who "has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia's has its own national interests."
"I expect that today's agreements will become a reference point, not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but will also launch the restoration of business-like, pragmatic relations between Russia and the United States," Putin added.
Putin repeated Moscow's long-held position that it is "sincerely interested in putting an end" to the war in Ukraine, but for that to happen, "all the root causes of the crisis ... must be eliminated."
"All of Russia's legitimate concerns must be taken into account, and a fair balance in the security sphere in Europe and the world as a whole must be restored," Putin said.
He added that he agrees with Trump on ensuring Ukraine's security and said Moscow was "ready to work on this," without offering details.
"I would like to hope that the understanding we have reached will allow us to get closer to that goal and open the way to peace in Ukraine," Putin said, without elaborating on what the understanding was.
