Putin announced Russia’s readiness to return to the negotiating table on Ukraine

Russia ready to return to negotiating table on Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that Russia is prepared to return to negotiations on Ukraine. He made this statement while answering journalists’ questions during a visit to a drone manufacturing plant in St. Petersburg.

The Kremlin leader praised the results of yesterday’s “cordial” talks with a U.S. delegation in Riyadh, stating that their main goal was to “increase trust.”

“Without raising the level of trust between Russia and the U.S., it is impossible to resolve the Ukrainian crisis,” Putin said.

“[The atmosphere] was very friendly. As our participants told me, these were completely different people on the American side—open to the negotiation process, without any bias, without condemning past actions,” he added.

According to him, U.S. representatives were “keen on working together.”

The Russian leader emphasized that Moscow’s willingness to return to negotiations on Ukraine remains unchanged.

“Russia has never refused dialogue with Europe or Ukraine. The Europeans themselves halted contact with Moscow, while Kyiv even prohibited itself from negotiating with Russia,” he stressed.

Putin assured that Ukraine is not being excluded from the negotiation process and that Kyiv’s representatives will participate in the discussions.

He noted that Russia aims to reach “mutually acceptable solutions” on Ukraine but refrained from predicting how long this might take.

Additionally, the Russian president expressed his willingness to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump “with pleasure,” but noted that such a meeting should be well-prepared.

He further stated that “Russia has taken the first step to resume cooperation with the U.S.” in various areas of mutual interest, including the Middle East, economy, energy, and space exploration.