Putin Praises Trump: The US Is Serious And Sincere In Fighting In Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin/PHOTO via Instagram @russian_kremlin

JAKARTA - In a meeting with top Russian officials ahead of a summit in Alaska with US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the United States was taking action to stop the war in Ukraine.

Before leaving for Alaska, Putin chaired a meeting attended by members of the negotiating team who would join him at the summit, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, to brief him on how the Ukraine crisis negotiations proceed.

"The American government is currently doing, in my opinion, a fairly energetic and sincere effort to stop hostilities, stop the crisis, and reach an agreement that benefits all parties involved in this conflict," Putin said. August.

Putin also said peace would be strengthened between Russia and the US and a wider world if the two countries reached an agreement in the field of strategic offensive arms control.

US President Donald Trump previously threatened "very heavy consequences" against Russia if President Vladimir Putin disagreed to end the war in Ukraine.

"There will be consequences," Trump said at an event at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

When asked what the consequences meant meant meant a new sanction or tariff, Trump declined to explain.

"I don't need to say it," he said.

"There will be very heavy consequences," Trump stressed.

Trump previously threatened new sanctions against Moscow as punishment for Ukraine's war, setting last Friday as a time limit to enacting it unless Putin came to the negotiating table.

Trump said if his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin went smoothly on Friday, he would like to "immediately" arrange a second meeting and include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"We made a very good phone call," Trump said of a virtual meeting with Zelenskyy and European leaders today.

Trump then discussed the next potential steps ahead of Friday's meeting this week.

"There is a high possibility that we will hold a second meeting, which will be more productive than the first because the first is that I will find out where we are and what we are doing," he said.

Trump said the second meeting would only be arranged if his meeting with Putin "goes smoothly."

He wants the second meeting to take place "soon" between Putin and Zelenskyy.

"And myself if they allow me to attend," he added.