Putin responds to Trump's call: We are always open to this

Russian President Vladimir Putin made an assessment to the Russian media regarding the possibility of a meeting with US President Donald Trump.

Arguing that they have never refused 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 pragmatically trust-based relations with the current US President. If victory had not been stolen from the president (Trump) in 2020, the crisis that began in Ukraine in 2022 might not have happened. I agree with him on this."

Stating that the restrictions and sanctions imposed on Russia during Trump's first presidential term did not align with the interests of not only Russia but also the US, Putin said, "Trump imposed many sanctions against Russia during his first term, but Biden 'took over the flag' and introduced even more restrictions. The results are clear. The decisions caused great damage to the US economy," he said.

"WE ARE OPEN TO WORKING TOGETHER"

Expressing that Russia has not rejected the American dollar, Putin said, "The previous administration (the Biden era) prevented Russia from using the dollar as an accounting unit. These decisions are causing serious damage to the US. I do not want to go into these issues. I see the current president's statements regarding his desire to work together. We are always open to this," he said.

"WE ARE OPEN TO NEGOTIATIONS"

Stating that they are open to negotiations with the Trump administration regarding Ukraine, Putin said, "As for the issue of negotiations, we have always said the same thing. We are always open to negotiations regarding the Ukraine issue, but there are matters that require attention in this regard. For example, the head of the Kyiv regime signed a decree that prevents negotiations with the legitimate president. How can negotiations begin while this ban continues?" he said, arguing that the obstacles to negotiations must be removed by Ukraine.

"HIGH OIL PRICES HARM OUR ECONOMIES"

Touching on high oil prices in his statements regarding the US, Putin said, "We are not only a major energy producer but also a major consumer of energy resources. I do not think it is very likely that Trump will take additional sanction steps that would 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 step that would harm the American economy," he said.