Putin rates US talks ‘highly’, says Russia ready to negotiate over Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he was briefed on the outcome of Russia-US talks in Saudi Arabia and was pleased with the results, according to Russian news agencies, amid soaring tensions between the United States and Ukraine.

“Yes, I have been informed. I rate them highly, there are results,” he was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency on Wednesday. “In my opinion, we made the first step to restore work in various areas of mutual interests”.

“No one is excluding Ukraine,” Putin said in a televised meeting with journalists in Saint Petersburg, adding that there was no need for a “hysterical” reaction to the US-Russia talks.

“It is impossible to solve many issues, including the Ukrainian crisis, without increasing the level of trust between Russia and the United States,” he said.

He added that he would like to meet US President Donald Trump in person but that the meeting would need to be prepared.

Putin also claimed Russia had never rejected talks with the Europeans, and it was they who had refused to talk to Moscow.