Notably, Putin spoke first after the two leaders took to their lecterns in front of reporters from across the world.
The dictator described the talks as having been conducted in a “constructive atmosphere of mutual respect.” He then spoke about shared U.S.–Russian history, particularly as allies during WWII.
Putin also complained about the soured relations between the two countries, saying that in 2022-2024, they were at their “lowest point since the Cold War.” According to him, with Trump back in the White House, Washington and Moscow will now be able to “rebuild and foster” their ties.
Moving on to the core question of the war in Ukraine, Putin reiterated the need for the world to accommodate Russia’s “security concerns,” suggesting that a peace settlement must “restore a just balance of security in Europe.”
Without making any concrete commitments, he added that the “security of Ukraine needs to be ensured as well.”
The dictator said that the summit has started a process that could serve as a “starting point for the solution of the Ukrainian issue,” and warned Ukraine and other European countries against attempting to derail the purported peace process.
“Moving down this path, we can come to the end of the conflict in Ukraine,” he concluded before moving on to vague statements about the potential of economic and commercial cooperation between Russia and the United States.
Trump, in turn, did not touch on any historical subjects in his statement, and instead spent several minutes praising “great progress” made during his meeting with Putin, providing no specifics.
The U.S. president made it clear that a deal to stop the war is “not quite there,” and said that he will now call heads of NATO, European countries, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss his meeting with Putin.
In conclusion, Trump said that the summit meeting will likely be followed by more like it in the future, telling Putin “See you again very soon,” to which Putin replied, “next time in Moscow.”