President Vladimir Putin has said there was "light at the end of the tunnel" in Russia-US relations and that the two countries were discussing possible joint projects in the Arctic and Alaska.
Speaking during a visit to a nuclear research centre on Friday, the Russian president expressed optimism that relations could recover from recent lows.
He cited his August 15 summit with US President Donald Trump in Alaska, where both sides failed to announce a deal to end Ukraine war but signalled interest in broader cooperation.
"With the arrival of President Trump, I think that a light at the end of the tunnel has finally loomed. And now we had a very good, meaningful and frank meeting in Alaska," Putin said.
"The next steps now depend on the leadership of the United States, but I am confident that the leadership qualities of the current president, President Trump, are a good guarantee that relations will be restored," he added.
Potential cooperation
Putin did not provide specifics on potential cooperation but said Russia saw "huge, huge" mineral reserves in the Arctic as well as opportunities in Alaska.
He highlighted the operations of Russian liquefied natural gas producer Novatek and suggested American firms could join in.
"We are discussing, by the way, with American partners the possibility of working together in this area. And not only in our Arctic zone, but also in Alaska," Putin said.
"The technologies that we possess today no one but us possess. And this is of interest to our partners, including those from the States."
Russia and the United States have both pointed to economic potential if ties normalise, particularly in energy development and Arctic shipping.
Relations, however, remain at a post-Cold War low due to the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
At their Alaska summit, Trump and Putin did not agree on a ceasefire, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected Moscow's proposal to freeze the frontline in exchange for troop withdrawals.
Still, both leaders indicated openness to continued dialogue.
For Moscow, Friday's remarks reflected a willingness to separate energy and business opportunities from political disputes, projecting confidence that personal ties between the two presidents could drive rapprochement.
Meanwhile, Trump said on Friday that setting up a Zelenskyy-Putin summit was as hard as mixing "oil and vinegar."
"We're going to see if Putin and Zelenskyy will be working together. You know, it's like oil and vinegar, a little bit. They don't get along too well, for obvious reasons," he told reporters.
Trump added, "we'll see" if he would need to attend any such meeting.
