Moscow:

Vladimir Putin has reassured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Kyiv will most definitely be included in negotiations that will aim to end the three-year war in Ukraine. Speaking for the first time since the crucial Russia-US meeting in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, President Putin described it as in important step towards finding a solution to the conflict.

Success, he said, would depend a great degree on raising the level of trust between Moscow and Washington – which he described as “below zero” due to the Biden administration. “In my opinion, we have taken a first step to resume work in a variety of areas that are of mutual interest,” Putin said about the meeting of Russian and US diplomats.

“Without increasing the level of trust between Russia and the United States, it is impossible to resolve many issues, including the Ukrainian crisis,” he added.

Ukraine and the European Union has raised concerns about not being included in the talks between Russia and US, fearing an agreement between Moscow and Washington might ignore their vital security concerns. On this Mr Putin said Moscow has never rejected talks with either Kyiv or Europe – instead, it is them who have refused to speak with Moscow.

Reassuring Ukraine that Kyiv will not be left out of negotiations, President Putin said “If they (Ukraine) want, please, let these negotiations take place. And we will be ready to return to the table for negotiations.”

“There is not need for a hysterical reaction. No one is excluding Ukraine,” he added.

Praising Donald Trump, the Russian President said he appreciated his “restraint” amid “boorish behaviour” by US allies. He went on to say that he would be “happy to meet with Donald (Trump), but we are in such a situation that it is not enough to meet just to have tea or coffee, sit and talk about the future. We need to ensure that our teams prepare issues that are extremely important for both the United States and Russia, including – but not only – on the Ukrainian track, in order to reach solutions acceptable to both sides.”

Speaking about Tuesday’s meeting, to which he was not invited, President Zelensky said “Kyiv cannot recognise any agreements or things discussed about us without us.” European leaders also met in Paris hours before the Russia-US meeting to discuss Washington’s massive policy shift towards Moscow.

(Inputs from Reuters)