Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that relations between Russia and the United States were starting to stabilise, crediting the positive shift to the efforts of US President Donald Trump.
He reaffirmed his ‘great respect’ for Trump and expressed openness to a future meeting, noting that while such a meeting would require thorough preparation, it remained “quite possible.”
“In general, thanks to President Trump, relations between Russia and the United States are beginning to level out in some ways,” Putin told a press conference in Minsk.
“Not everything has been decided in the sphere of diplomatic relations, but the first steps have been taken and we are moving forward,” he said.
In a surprise statement, President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia plans to cut its military spending starting next year—a move that contrasts sharply with NATO’s decision to significantly increase defence budgets over the coming decade.
On Wednesday, NATO allies agreed to raise their collective defence spending target to 5% of GDP within 10 years, citing the perceived long-term threat from Russia and the need to enhance both civil and military resilience.
Responding to the announcement, Putin remarked that NATO’s increased spending would primarily benefit the US defence industry. “These funds will go toward purchases from the United States and supporting its military-industrial complex,” he said, adding that such decisions are NATO’s concern, not Russia’s.
“But now here is the most important thing. We are planning to reduce defence spending. For us, next year and the year after, over the next three-year period, we are planning for this,” he said.
Putin said Russian and Ukrainian negotiators were in constant contact, and Moscow was ready to return the bodies of 3,000 more Ukrainian soldiers.
‘Nice statements’
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump highly rated the statements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin concerning the relations between Moscow and Washington.
“He respects our country again. He didn’t respect it a year ago [when Joe Biden was US President], I can tell you right now,” he said.
“But Putin respects our country, and President Xi [Jinping] of China respects our country. [North Korea’s leader] Kim Jong Un respects our country. They respect our country again,” Trump noted.
“We were not a country that was respected just a year ago. We had a president who was incompetent. We had bad people circulating around this desk, this beautiful, resolute desk. They had, I guess, evil intentions,” the US President said at the White House. Agencies
