President Putin guarantees Ukraine a seat at the negotiating table

President Putin made the above comment a day after the first high-level US-Russia meeting in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) to discuss measures to end the nearly 3-year conflict in Ukraine, according to Reuters on February 20.

The Kremlin chief also said that it would take time to arrange a mutually desirable summit with US President Donald Trump. And of course such a meeting would not be purely for drinking tea.

Mr. Putin explains why Russia-US meeting without Ukraine, EU

The Russian leader praised the outcome of the US-Russia meeting in Saudi Arabia, after the two sides agreed to appoint a negotiating team on Ukraine and discuss ways to restore bilateral relations, which the Kremlin described as a "negative point" under Mr Trump's predecessor, Mr Joe Biden.

Russian President Vladimir Putin insists Ukraine is not being left out of negotiations

“In my opinion, we have taken the first steps to resume work in many areas of common interest,” Mr Putin said on Russian television. These areas include the Middle East, global energy markets and space cooperation.

"Without increasing the level of trust between Russia and the United States, many problems cannot be solved, including the crisis in Russia," the leader pointed out.

Ukrainian and European governments were not invited to the meeting in the Saudi Arabian capital on February 18, raising concerns that Russia and the United States could sign a deal that ignores the continent's key security interests.

However, President Putin affirmed that Russia has never refused to negotiate with Europe or Kyiv, but on the contrary, they are the ones who reject the possibility of negotiating with Moscow.

"If they want, please let those negotiations take place. And we will be ready to return to the negotiating table," according to the Russian leader.

"Nobody is leaving Ukraine out," Putin added, adding that there was no need to speculate or react hysterically to the Russia-US meeting.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tong-thong-putin-bao-dam-ghe-tren-ban-dam-phan-cho-ukraine-185250220082844964.htm