Putin: Riyadh talks were positive and I’m more than happy to meet Trump
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that the talks held between Russia and the United States in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, were positive, noting that he highly values these talks.
Speaking to reporters during his visit to a drone production plant in St. Petersburg, Putin added that he welcomes meeting with US President Donald Trump, but stressed the need for good preparation for this meeting.
He explained that the Russian and US teams need to prepare solutions acceptable to both sides, stressing that Russia is ready to resume negotiations on Ukraine.
He also noted that Trump had informed him about Ukraine’s participation in the talks.
Putin also pointed out the need to resolve the issue of the New START nuclear arms control treaty, and stressed that diplomatic missions between Moscow and Washington would resume their work.
On the other hand, Putin praised the behavior of the US delegation in the Riyadh talks, describing it as balanced and free of bias.
He also criticized Ukraine’s position, describing it as hysterical towards communication between Moscow and Washington.
Putin didn’t forget to thank the Saudi leadership for creating a favorable environment for these talks, stressing that he will contact Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to personally thank him for the role played by the Kingdom.
The Riyadh talks were attended by a number of prominent figures, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Secretary of State Sergey Lavrov, along with senior officials from both countries, as well as Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Minister of State Musaed al Aiban.
For its part, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that these talks come within the Kingdom’s efforts to enhance international security and peace, as in this regard, Saudi Arabia has played a neutral role in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, and strives to provide space for dialogue and conflict resolution.
