The press conference of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin ended without questions from the media. “Our talks took place in a constructive atmosphere and were very beneficial. I hope that our agreements will pave the way toward peace in Ukraine. I agree with President Trump that Ukraine’s security must be ensured. All root causes of the crisis in Ukraine must be eliminated,” said the Russian war criminal.
One of Putin’s key statements was the declaration that in order to achieve a lasting agreement, “we must eliminate all the fundamental roots, the root causes of this conflict.” This is a signal that Moscow does not intend to abandon its narrative, in which NATO expansion and the alleged threat to Russia’s security are presented as the main causes of the invasion. It is a classic attempt to shift responsibility and legitimize its own aggressive actions.
Putin also expressed hope that the agreements reached would serve as a starting point not only for resolving the Ukrainian issue, but also for “restoring substantive and pragmatic relations between Russia and the United States.” The Russian president stated that U.S.-Russian relations had “fallen to their lowest point since the Cold War.” He also emphasized that “the situation in Ukraine is linked to fundamental threats to our security.”
At the press conference, Putin further assessed that the talks with Trump were held in a constructive atmosphere and were very beneficial.
He stated that if Trump had been president, the war would not have occurred and also expressed hope that “Ukraine and Europe will not attempt” to sabotage the talks.