Russian President Vladimir Putin applauded the Trump administration’s “energetic” efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine and suggested that Moscow and Washington might reach an agreement on nuclear arms control during their summit in Alaska on Friday.Speaking publicly for the first time since US President Donald Trump announced the meeting, Putin chaired a Kremlin session on Thursday with senior Russian officials to review the progress of talks with the US regarding Ukraine.“The current American administration… is making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict,” Putin said.He added that the summit aims to “create long-term conditions for peace between our countries, as well as in Europe and in the world as a whole.” The Russian president also suggested that a broader level of peace could be achieved if the “next stages” of discussions with US focus on agreements on the control of strategic offensive weapons, likely referring to nuclear arms or missile systems.Historically, the US and Russia have limited their nuclear arsenals under the New START treaty, which took effect in 2011. Under the treaty, both countries had seven years to comply with specific limits on their deployed intercontinental-range nuclear weapons. The treaty is set to expire in February 2026.Despite these efforts, there remains tensions between the both countries. Earlier this month, Trump ordered two nuclear submarines to be strategically positioned near Russia in response to what he called “highly provocative” remarks by Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and current deputy chairman of its Security Council. Medvedev is known for provocative social media statements that sometimes hint at nuclear conflict.Ahead of Friday’s summit, Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov shared the details of the meeting. The two presidents will hold a one-on-one discussion with interpreters, followed by talks over a business lunch. Discussions will focus on the Ukraine war and potential US-Russia cooperation in trade and economic matters, concluding with a joint press conference.Russia’s negotiating team will include Ushakov, foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, defense minister Andrey Belousov, finance minister Anton Siluanov and Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund.Yesterday, President Trump had warned Russian leader that he would face “very severe consequences” if he does not agree to halt the war in Ukraine after their upcoming summit.
