Putin says he and Trump ought to meet to debate Ukraine and power costs

By Vladimir Soldatkin and Anastasia Lyrchikova

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned on Friday that he and Donald Trump ought to meet to speak in regards to the Ukraine conflict and power costs, points that the U.S. president has highlighted within the first 5 days of his new administration.

Putin mentioned, nonetheless, that there might be no severe peace talks with Ukraine except the West leaned on President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to cancel a 2022 decree that bars him from negotiating with the Russian chief.

Putin described Trump, who this week threatened to hit Russia with new sanctions and tariffs if it didn’t negotiate an finish to the conflict, as good and pragmatic. He mentioned he didn’t anticipate the U.S. president to make selections on sanctions that will rebound on the U.S. economic system.

“Subsequently, more than likely, it could be higher for us to satisfy, based mostly on the realities of at the moment, to speak calmly on all these areas which are of curiosity to each america and Russia. We’re prepared,” he mentioned, whereas including that this trusted the alternatives of the U.S. aspect.

It was the strongest indication but from the Kremlin that it’s eager for an early summit with Trump after three years of nearly no high-level contact with Western leaders due to the conflict in Ukraine.

Trump, who was sworn in for a second, non-consecutive time period on Monday, has additionally mentioned that he needs to satisfy Putin and that he seeks an early finish to the battle. He mentioned this week that the conflict was “ridiculous” and that it was “destroying” Russia’s economic system.

Putin mentioned he had all the time had “pragmatic and trusting” relations with Trump. He additionally voiced assist for Trump’s false declare that he, not Joe Biden, was the true winner of the 2020 U.S. election.

“I can not assist agreeing with him that if he had been president, if his victory had not been stolen in 2020, then maybe there wouldn’t have been the disaster in Ukraine that arose in 2022,” the Kremlin chief mentioned. In February that yr Putin launched what he known as his “particular army operation” in Ukraine.

He famous Trump’s feedback that he was able to work collectively, saying: “We’re all the time open to this.”

STICKING POINT WITH UKRAINE

However the Russian chief mentioned a sticking level with Ukraine was the Zelenskiy decree banning talks with Putin, handed in 2022 after Russia mentioned it was annexing 4 areas of Ukraine which are partly managed by its forces – an motion condemned as unlawful by most nations on the United Nations.

Putin mentioned this meant there might solely be “preliminary outlines” of a negotiation at this level, not severe talks. Any talks held now wouldn’t be official, he mentioned, and subsequently the outcomes of any negotiation may be challenged on authorized grounds.

He mentioned the Western nations which are offering “lots of of billions” in funding to Zelenskiy ought to make the Ukrainian chief cancel the decree.

“I believe that, ultimately, those that pay the cash ought to drive him to do it. And I believe that he should do it. However till this decree is cancelled, it’s fairly tough to speak about the potential of beginning these negotiations – and, most significantly, finishing them within the essential means.”

Putin mentioned, nonetheless, that there was rather a lot to speak about with the Trump administration, together with on arms management and power, provided that each nations have been main oil producers and customers.

This meant that excessively excessive or excessively low oil costs have been dangerous for each nations, he mentioned. Trump mentioned this week he was calling on OPEC to convey oil costs down.

“There’s something for us to speak about right here,” Putin mentioned.