Putin pointed to Trump meeting: New era in relations

Russian President Vladimir Putin made a statement at the Russian Federal Nuclear Center in Sarov, a closed city in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Putin stated that he and US President Donald Trump had a productive meeting in Alaska. "Contacts continue at the level of our ministries and companies," Putin said. "I believe that these first steps are only the beginning of a full recovery of our relations."

Stating that the course of relations depends on Western countries, Putin said, "As for our relations with the United States, they are at an extremely low level after World War II. However, I believe that the light at the end of the tunnel has become clear with Trump's coming to office."

Putin argued that the war in Ukraine was not started by Russia, saying it started with attacks on the Donbas region.

Assessing Russia's defense capabilities, Putin noted that this issue is significantly linked to the country's northern waters. He described the ability of Russian submarines to operate in these areas without being detected by radar as a "strategic advantage."

Putin also stated that they were evaluating cooperation opportunities with the United States in Alaska and the Arctic region.