Russian President Vladimir Putin made an assessment of the possibility of meeting with US President Donald Trump to the Russian media. Arguing that they never rejected contact with the US, Putin said, "The previous administration rejected contacts, and this is not our fault. I can say that we have always had business-oriented and at the same time pragmatic, trust-based relations with the current US President. If the victory had not been stolen from the president (Trump) in 2020, the crisis in Ukraine that began in 2022 might not have happened. I agree with him on this matter."
Stating that the restrictions and sanctions Trump imposed on Russia during his first term were not only in the interests of Russia but also the US, Putin said, “Trump imposed many sanctions against Russia in his first term, but Biden ‘took over the baton’ and imposed even more restrictions. The results are obvious. The decisions have caused great damage to the US economy.”
“We are open to working together”
Also stating that Russia did not reject the US dollar, Putin said, “The previous administration (Biden’s term) prevented Russia from using the dollar as a unit of account. These decisions cause serious damage to the US. I do not want to get into these issues. I see the current president’s statements about his desire to work together. We are always open to that.”
“We are open to negotiations on Ukraine”
Also stating that they are open to negotiations with the Trump administration on Ukraine, Putin said, “When it comes to the issue of negotiations, we have always said the following on this issue. We are always open to negotiations on the Ukraine issue, but there are issues that require attention on this issue. For example, the head of the Kiev regime signed a decree preventing negotiations with the legitimate president. How can negotiations begin while this ban continues?” He argued that the obstacles to the negotiations should be removed by Ukraine.
“High oil prices are harming our economies”
Putin, who also touched on high oil prices in his statements towards the US, said, “We are not only a major energy producer but also a major consumer of energy resources. I do not see much possibility of Trump taking additional sanctions that will harm the US economy. Because he is not only an intelligent person but also a pragmatic politician and I do not think he will take any steps that will harm the American economy.”