🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’sinterview with RT(Moscow, February 5, 2026)
Read in full
Key talking points:
#Europe#EU#Germany
• Over the past 45 days, many European politicians have addressed relations with the Russian Federation. Until recently, they were united in demanding firmness, not scaling back support or weapons supplies to Ukraine, and financing it to make sure Russia suffers a “strategic defeat” on the battlefield.
• Recently, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made a comment describing Russia as the largest country in Europe. I must correct this immediately. Russia is the largest country in Eurasia – and in the world.
• The Americans have never wanted, and still do not want, to leave the Europeans to their own devices. Their goal is for Europeans to finance all their own military preparations by buying US weaponry, while the US naturally retains control and the role of ‘guardian’ over its NATO allies.
• As Euro-Atlantic structures have weakened (the EU having become a mere appendage of NATO, a status even formalised in documents) Germany’s rising profile has caused alarm, not only in our country but in many EU capitals. There is growing resentment and a palpable desire to prevent Germany from subjugating all others once more, especially as Germany’s being “back on track,” proclaimed by Friedrich Merz and his government, is openly linked to the country’s rapid militarisation and preparations for war.
• We do maintain contacts with some European leaders. They call and ask us not to publicise the conversations. Some engage in ‘undercover’ contacts here.
• I see no coherent position from Europe. They are trapped by their own rhetoric, locked into an uncompromising stance: ‘Russia’s strategic defeat,’ ‘Ukraine cannot lose, and Russia cannot win, otherwise Europe loses face.’
#NATO
• We have indeed been “burned” by our trust in those who swore that NATO would not expand eastwards, that Russia would not be marginalised, and that we would forge a common space from Lisbon to Vladivostok – a vast continent of peace and security.
• NATO first lost its reason for existence, then found renewed purpose in Afghanistan. When that purpose was publicly, shamelessly trampled before the eyes of the international community, action was needed. So, they regrouped, convened, and contrived the situation we witness today – declaring Russia a “pariah” and identifying Ukraine as the “optimal material” with which to provoke us, a pliable entity to be shaped as they saw fit.
#Ukraine
• This is nonsense and a quite telling one. What do I mean? For the past year, the West (Europe) has been saying the same thing over and over: there must be solid guarantees of security and an immediate ceasefire. But without addressing issues pertaining to settlement, these security guarantees will implicate that the ceasefire will be exploited to funnel more arms into Ukraine. They did not hear this reasoning; neither did they respond in any way.
• What kind of Ukraine we are willing to see as a neighbour for the long, even eternal term? It must be a friendly Ukraine. Not necessarily an ally, but a neutral and benign state. This, of course, implies respect not only for the rights of the people in the territory that will remain part of Ukraine, not only respect for their rights to access basic necessities, such as warmth, food, and water, but also respect for their, if you will, fundamental human rights, including language, education, and religion.
• That man [Zelensky] is devoid of shame or conscience, who thinks of nothing but his own survival. For that, he feels compelled to perform some scripted ‘sketches’ on the international stage, which he actually treats as a theatre.
• In Anchorage, we accepted the Trump administration’s proposal concerning Ukraine. If everything was as straightforward and decisive as presented, then it would imply that Ukraine had been set aside from our bright path towards future cooperation and prosperity.
⚡️Comment by Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov following the telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump(April 29, 2026)
💬 Yuri Ushakov: Another telephone conversation has taken place between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of the US Donald Trump. The conversation lasted more than an hour and a half.
The Presidents spoke in afriendly, frank and business-like manner.
Naturally, Vladimir Putin first expressed words of support to the US President in connection with the assassination attempt against him on April 25 at the Washington Hilton hotel. Fortunately, neither Donald Trump, nor his wife, nor anyone in his entourage was harmed.
The Russian Leader strongly condemned this crime, stressing, in particular, the inadmissibility of any form of politically motivated violence.
☝️Vladimir Putin described Donald Trump’s decision to extend the ceasefire with Iran as the right step. This should give negotiations a chance and, overall, help stabilise the situation.
At the same time, the Russian President drew attention to the inevitable and extremely damaging consequences – not only for Iran and its neighbours, but for the entire international community – should the US and Israel once again resort to the use of force.
❗️Needless to say, the option of a ground operation on Iranian territory would be entirely unacceptable and dangerous.
Russia is firmly committed toproviding comprehensive assistance to diplomatic efforts aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the crisis and has put forward a number of considerations aimed at resolving differences around Iran’s nuclear programme.
As for the Ukrainian settlement, the US President emphasised the importance of ending hostilities as soon as possible, as well as his readiness to contribute to this in every possible way. His authorised representatives will continue contacts both with Moscow and Kiev.
Donald Trump believes that a deal that would put an end to the conflict in Ukraine is already within reach.
At Trump’s request, Vladimir Putin described the current situation along the line of contact, where our troops retain the strategic initiative and continue to push back enemy positions.
It was also noted that since the beginning of 2025, Russia has repatriated more than 20,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian servicemen, while Ukraine has returned just over 500 bodies to Russia.
Both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump essentially shared similar assessments of the conduct of the Kiev regime led by Zelensky, which, incited and supported by the Europeans, is pursuing a line aimed at prolonging the conflict.
👉 The Russian Leader stated plainly that Kiev is resorting to openly terrorist methods by attacking purely civilian facilities on Russian territory.
The Russian President reaffirmed that the goals of the special military operationwill be achieved in any case. Naturally, we would prefer this to be the result of a negotiating process, for which Zelensky must respond positively to the well-known proposals that have been put forward repeatedly, including by the American Side.
Notably, Donald Trump gave a positive assessment of Russia’s recently announced Easter ceasefire. In this context, Vladimir Putin informed his American counterpart of his readiness to announce a ceasefire for the period of Victory Day celebrations as well. Donald Trump actively supported this initiative, noting that the holiday marks our shared Victory over Nazism in World War II.
When discussing Russia-US relations, both Sides spoke about the great potential for mutually beneficial projects in the economy and energy sectors. The Presidents noted that a number of large-scale economic initiatives are already being substantively discussed between representatives of our countries.
🤝The Presidents agreed to stay in contact – both personally and at the level of their aides and representatives.
The Presidents parted warmly and wished each other all the best.
***
The conversation was conducted at the initiative of the Russian Side.
#RussiaUSA
⚡️Comment by Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov following the telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump(March 9, 2026)
💬 Yuri Ushakov: On the evening of March 9, a telephone conversation took place between the Presidents of Russia and the US.
Donald Trump called Vladimir Putin to discuss a number of pressing issues related to the current international situation. Naturally, particular attention was given to the conflict around Iran and the trilateral negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement currently underway with the participation of US representatives.
I would like to note that the conversation was businesslike, candid and constructive in nature – as is typically the case in dialogue between the Russian and American Leaders. They had not spoken by phone for quite some time, the last conversation took place in late December 2025. Today’s call lasted about an hour. The US President emphasized that, as previously agreed, such contacts should be maintained on a regular basis, and both Leaders confirmed their readiness to do so.
Vladimir Putin outlined a number of considerations aimed at achieving the earliest possible political and diplomatic settlement of the conflict around Iran, including in light of his recent contacts with the Leaders of the Persian Gulf states, the President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian and the Leaders of several other countries.
For his part, the US President shared his assessment of developments in the context of the ongoing US-Israeli operation. I would note that a rather substantive and, I believe, useful exchange of views took place on this matter.
President Trump once again expressed his interest in seeing the conflict in Ukraine concluded as soon as possible by reaching a ceasefire that would pave the way for a long-term settlement.
On the Russian Side, a positive assessment was expressed of the mediation efforts undertaken by Donald Trump’s team and by him personally.
An overview was also provided of the current situation along the line of contact, where Russian forces are advancing successfully. It was noted that this factor should encourage the Kiev regime to finally move towards negotiations aimed at settling the conflict.
The Presidents also touched upon Venezuela, primarily in the context of the situation on the global oil market.
Overall, I would reiterate that the conversation proved to be substantive and will undoubtedly have practical significance for further cooperation between the two countries across various areas of international policy.
#RussiaUSA
⚡️Comment by Aide to the President Yury Ushakov regardingPresident Vladimir Putin’s meeting with US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff(January 23, 2026)
Read in full
💬Yury Ushakov: President Vladimir Putin has held a meeting with US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.Jared Kushner and Josh Gruenbaum also attended the meeting. The latter is a White House Senior Advisor who specialises in economic matters. This was his first time joining the US team.
🤝 The talks lasted about four hours and were exceptionally in-depth, constructive, and, I should say, constituted an extremely frank and heart-to-heart conversation.
As you know, our counterparts arrived from Davos after taking part in a series of events together with President Donald Trump, including those concerning the Ukraine settlement. These meetings literally lasted until it was time for them to leave for Moscow.
They provided first-hand accounts of these events and shared their impressions, as well as their latest thoughts and assessments regarding the meeting between the President of the United States and Zelensky in Davos. <...>
An agreement on the next step in this direction has been reached. An agreement was reached to hold the first meeting of a trilateral working group on security matters today, this Friday, January 23, in Abu Dhabi, with Russia, the United States and Ukraine. At the same time, Abu Dhabi will also host a meeting of the heads of the bilateral working group on economic matters. This bilateral group was formed by Russia and the United States, led by Kirill Dmitriev and Steve Witkoff.
Our negotiating team on security matters has already been formed and will depart for the Emirates in a few hours. The group includes senior officials from the Defence Ministry, led by Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff Admiral Kostyukov.
I would also like to inform you that the President of Russia has given our delegation specific instructions based on today's conversation with the United States.
Importantly, the participants in the conversation between the President of Russia and the Americans reaffirmed the fact that:
☝️ achieving a lasting settlement is unlikely without addressing the territorial issue based on the formula agreed upon in Anchorage.
Vladimir Putin has emphasised Russia’s sincere commitment to settling the Ukraine crisis by political and diplomatic means.
However, as long as this is not the case, Russia will persist in its consistent effort to achieve the special military operation’s goals on the battlefield, where Russia’s Armed Forces hold the strategic initiative.
During the meeting at the Kremlin, we also discussed Donald Trump’s idea of a Board of Peace, a host of regional matters and the Greenland issue.
While exchanging views on the Board of Peace, we emphasised our readiness to transfer US$1 billion from Russia’s assets frozen under the previous US administration to its budget. The remaining Russian assets frozen in the US can be used for rebuilding the territories damaged during the hostilities after a peace agreement is signed between Russia and Ukraine. Discussions on this issue will continue in the bilateral economic group.
I would like to note that the further development of bilateral Russian-US relations was discussed conceptually, considering the vast potential for cooperation in various spheres.
American representatives are already considering certain plans that could be implemented after the settlement of the Ukraine crisis.
<...>
Overall, as I mentioned, the meeting that has just ended at the Kremlin was beneficial in every sense for both us and the American Side.
It was decided that the Russian and American Sides will maintain close contact on Ukraine and other issues.
#RussiaUSA
🎙Comment by Aide to the President of Russia Yury Ushakov following the telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin and President of the United States Donald Trump(August 19, 2025)
💬Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Donald Trump, at the US President’s initiative.
The President of Russia expressed his heartfelt gratitude to his US colleague for the hospitality and perfect arrangements at the Alaska summit, as well as for the progress they were able to achieve towards bringing about a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine crisis.
The President of the United States informed his Russian counterpart about the talks he had just concluded at the White House with Vladimir Zelensky and leaders of several European countries.
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump then reaffirmed their commitment to continuing direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
In this connection, among other things, they discussed the prospect of exploring opportunities for drawing higher ranking officials from both Ukraine and Russia into these direct talks.
It is quite telling that Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump agreed to keep in touch with one another on the Ukrainian issue and other urgent international and bilateral matters.
The President of Russia highlighted the importance of Donald Trump’s personal efforts and commitment to finding solutions for a lasting settlement in Ukraine.
The conversation was quite frank and constructive.
🇷🇺🇺🇸#RussiaUSA
⚡️Comment by the Aide to the President of the Russian Federation Yury Ushakov on the outcomes of Russia's President Vladimir Putin’s telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump (June 4, 2025)
💬 About an hour ago, the fourth telephone conversation between our President and US President Donald Trump concluded. <...>
Vladimir Putin provided detailed information on the outcomes of the second round of direct Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul.
It was emphasised that Ukraine tried to derail these talks by carrying out targeted attacks on purely civilian targets and civilian population on direct orders from the Kiev regime.
These attacks unequivocally constitute an act of terrorism under international law and, in our view, the Kiev regime has essentially degenerated into a terrorist organisation. The Russian side did not fall for the provocations and, as you know, the second round has effectively taken place in Istanbul.
To reiterate, our President extensively covered the content and the outcomes of the talks and emphasised that, overall, these talks were productive. The corresponding memorandums were exchanged and will be analysed in the capitals – Moscow and Kiev – and then, we hope, both sides can continue the talks.
Regarding the strikes on military airfields, this issue was also discussed. Donald Trump reiterated that Americans were not informed in advance about them.
Naturally, the Leaders agreed to continue contacts on the Ukraine issue, both at the highest level and through other channels as well.
In addition to Ukraine, a number of international issues were discussed, with a focus on the stalled talks between the United States and Iran on the Iranian nuclear programme.
☝️ Donald Trump believes that Russia’s assistance may be necessary, and he would appreciate it if Russia could work with the Iranian side accordingly.
Additionally, the Middle East was discussed, as well as the armed conflict between India and Pakistan, which has been halted with the personal involvement of President Trump.
Furthermore, the Presidents exchanged views on the prospects for restoring Russia-US cooperation in various areas, which, according to both Presidents, have enormous potential.
🤝 In conclusion, both Leaders characterised the exchange of views as positive and highly productive. President Trump and our President also confirmed their willingness to remain in constant communication.
I would also note that both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin highly appreciated the efforts of President Trump’s Special Envoy Steven Witkoff.
Read in full
#RussiaUSA
⚡️Comment by Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov following the telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump(April 29, 2026)
💬 Yuri Ushakov: Another telephone conversation has taken place between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of the US Donald Trump. The conversation lasted more than an hour and a half.
The Presidents spoke in afriendly, frank and business-like manner.
Naturally, Vladimir Putin first expressed words of support to the US President in connection with the assassination attempt against him on April 25 at the Washington Hilton hotel. Fortunately, neither Donald Trump, nor his wife, nor anyone in his entourage was harmed.
The Russian Leader strongly condemned this crime, stressing, in particular, the inadmissibility of any form of politically motivated violence.
☝️Vladimir Putin described Donald Trump’s decision to extend the ceasefire with Iran as the right step. This should give negotiations a chance and, overall, help stabilise the situation.
At the same time, the Russian President drew attention to the inevitable and extremely damaging consequences – not only for Iran and its neighbours, but for the entire international community – should the US and Israel once again resort to the use of force.
❗️Needless to say, the option of a ground operation on Iranian territory would be entirely unacceptable and dangerous.
Russia is firmly committed toproviding comprehensive assistance to diplomatic efforts aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the crisis and has put forward a number of considerations aimed at resolving differences around Iran’s nuclear programme.
As for the Ukrainian settlement, the US President emphasised the importance of ending hostilities as soon as possible, as well as his readiness to contribute to this in every possible way. His authorised representatives will continue contacts both with Moscow and Kiev.
Donald Trump believes that a deal that would put an end to the conflict in Ukraine is already within reach.
At Trump’s request, Vladimir Putin described the current situation along the line of contact, where our troops retain the strategic initiative and continue to push back enemy positions.
It was also noted that since the beginning of 2025, Russia has repatriated more than 20,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian servicemen, while Ukraine has returned just over 500 bodies to Russia.
Both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump essentially shared similar assessments of the conduct of the Kiev regime led by Zelensky, which, incited and supported by the Europeans, is pursuing a line aimed at prolonging the conflict.
👉 The Russian Leader stated plainly that Kiev is resorting to openly terrorist methods by attacking purely civilian facilities on Russian territory.
The Russian President reaffirmed that the goals of the special military operationwill be achieved in any case. Naturally, we would prefer this to be the result of a negotiating process, for which Zelensky must respond positively to the well-known proposals that have been put forward repeatedly, including by the American Side.
Notably, Donald Trump gave a positive assessment of Russia’s recently announced Easter ceasefire. In this context, Vladimir Putin informed his American counterpart of his readiness to announce a ceasefire for the period of Victory Day celebrations as well. Donald Trump actively supported this initiative, noting that the holiday marks our shared Victory over Nazism in World War II.
When discussing Russia-US relations, both Sides spoke about the great potential for mutually beneficial projects in the economy and energy sectors. The Presidents noted that a number of large-scale economic initiatives are already being substantively discussed between representatives of our countries.
🤝The Presidents agreed to stay in contact – both personally and at the level of their aides and representatives.
The Presidents parted warmly and wished each other all the best.
***
The conversation was conducted at the initiative of the Russian Side.
#RussiaUSA
⚡️Comment by Aide to the President Yury Ushakov regardingPresident Vladimir Putin’s meeting with US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff(January 23, 2026)
Read in full
💬Yury Ushakov: President Vladimir Putin has held a meeting with US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.Jared Kushner and Josh Gruenbaum also attended the meeting. The latter is a White House Senior Advisor who specialises in economic matters. This was his first time joining the US team.
🤝 The talks lasted about four hours and were exceptionally in-depth, constructive, and, I should say, constituted an extremely frank and heart-to-heart conversation.
As you know, our counterparts arrived from Davos after taking part in a series of events together with President Donald Trump, including those concerning the Ukraine settlement. These meetings literally lasted until it was time for them to leave for Moscow.
They provided first-hand accounts of these events and shared their impressions, as well as their latest thoughts and assessments regarding the meeting between the President of the United States and Zelensky in Davos. <...>
An agreement on the next step in this direction has been reached. An agreement was reached to hold the first meeting of a trilateral working group on security matters today, this Friday, January 23, in Abu Dhabi, with Russia, the United States and Ukraine. At the same time, Abu Dhabi will also host a meeting of the heads of the bilateral working group on economic matters. This bilateral group was formed by Russia and the United States, led by Kirill Dmitriev and Steve Witkoff.
Our negotiating team on security matters has already been formed and will depart for the Emirates in a few hours. The group includes senior officials from the Defence Ministry, led by Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff Admiral Kostyukov.
I would also like to inform you that the President of Russia has given our delegation specific instructions based on today's conversation with the United States.
Importantly, the participants in the conversation between the President of Russia and the Americans reaffirmed the fact that:
☝️ achieving a lasting settlement is unlikely without addressing the territorial issue based on the formula agreed upon in Anchorage.
Vladimir Putin has emphasised Russia’s sincere commitment to settling the Ukraine crisis by political and diplomatic means.
However, as long as this is not the case, Russia will persist in its consistent effort to achieve the special military operation’s goals on the battlefield, where Russia’s Armed Forces hold the strategic initiative.
During the meeting at the Kremlin, we also discussed Donald Trump’s idea of a Board of Peace, a host of regional matters and the Greenland issue.
While exchanging views on the Board of Peace, we emphasised our readiness to transfer US$1 billion from Russia’s assets frozen under the previous US administration to its budget. The remaining Russian assets frozen in the US can be used for rebuilding the territories damaged during the hostilities after a peace agreement is signed between Russia and Ukraine. Discussions on this issue will continue in the bilateral economic group.
I would like to note that the further development of bilateral Russian-US relations was discussed conceptually, considering the vast potential for cooperation in various spheres.
American representatives are already considering certain plans that could be implemented after the settlement of the Ukraine crisis.
<...>
Overall, as I mentioned, the meeting that has just ended at the Kremlin was beneficial in every sense for both us and the American Side.
It was decided that the Russian and American Sides will maintain close contact on Ukraine and other issues.
#RussiaUSA
🎙Comment by Aide to the President of Russia Yury Ushakov following the telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin and President of the United States Donald Trump(August 19, 2025)
💬Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Donald Trump, at the US President’s initiative.
The President of Russia expressed his heartfelt gratitude to his US colleague for the hospitality and perfect arrangements at the Alaska Summit, as well as for the progress they were able to achieve towards bringing about a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine crisis.
The President of the United States informed his Russian counterpart about the talks he had just concluded at the White House with Vladimir Zelensky and leaders of several European countries.
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump then reaffirmed their commitment to continuing direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
In this connection, among other things, they discussed the prospect of exploring opportunities for drawing higher ranking officials from both Ukraine and Russia into these direct talks.
It is quite telling that Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump agreed to keep in touch with one another on the Ukrainian issue and other urgent international and bilateral matters.
The President of Russia highlighted the importance of Donald Trump’s personal efforts and commitment to finding solutions for a lasting settlement in Ukraine.
The conversation was quite frank and constructive.
🇷🇺🇺🇸#RussiaUSA
⚡️Comment by the Aide to the President of the Russian Federation Yury Ushakov on the outcomes of Russia's President Vladimir Putin’s telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump (June 4, 2025)
💬 About an hour ago, the fourth telephone conversation between our President and US President Donald Trump concluded. <...>
Vladimir Putin provided detailed information on the outcomes of the second round of direct Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul.
It was emphasised that Ukraine tried to derail these talks by carrying out targeted attacks on purely civilian targets and civilian population on direct orders from the Kiev regime.
These attacks unequivocally constitute an act of terrorism under international law and, in our view, the Kiev regime has essentially degenerated into a terrorist organisation. The Russian side did not fall for the provocations and, as you know, the second round has effectively taken place in Istanbul.
To reiterate, our President extensively covered the content and the outcomes of the talks and emphasised that, overall, these talks were productive. The corresponding memorandums were exchanged and will be analysed in the capitals – Moscow and Kiev – and then, we hope, both sides can continue the talks.
Regarding the strikes on military airfields, this issue was also discussed. Donald Trump reiterated that Americans were not informed in advance about them.
Naturally, the Leaders agreed to continue contacts on the Ukraine issue, both at the highest level and through other channels as well.
In addition to Ukraine, a number of international issues were discussed, with a focus on the stalled talks between the United States and Iran on the Iranian nuclear programme.
☝️ Donald Trump believes that Russia’s assistance may be necessary, and he would appreciate it if Russia could work with the Iranian side accordingly.
Additionally, the Middle East was discussed, as well as the armed conflict between India and Pakistan, which has been halted with the personal involvement of President Trump.
Furthermore, the Presidents exchanged views on the prospects for restoring Russia-US cooperation in various areas, which, according to both Presidents, have enormous potential.
🤝 In conclusion, both Leaders characterised the exchange of views as positive and highly productive. President Trump and our President also confirmed their willingness to remain in constant communication.
I would also note that both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin highly appreciated the efforts of President Trump’s Special Envoy Steven Witkoff.
Read in full
#RussiaUSA
⚡️Comment by Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov following the telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump(April 29, 2026)
💬 Yuri Ushakov: Another telephone conversation has taken place between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of the US Donald Trump. The conversation lasted more than an hour and a half.
The Presidents spoke in afriendly, frank and business-like manner.
Naturally, Vladimir Putin first expressed words of support to the US President in connection with the assassination attempt against him on April 25 at the Washington Hilton hotel. Fortunately, neither Donald Trump, nor his wife, nor anyone in his entourage was harmed.
The Russian Leader strongly condemned this crime, stressing, in particular, the inadmissibility of any form of politically motivated violence.
☝️Vladimir Putin described Donald Trump’s decision to extend the ceasefire with Iran as the right step. This should give negotiations a chance and, overall, help stabilise the situation.
At the same time, the Russian President drew attention to the inevitable and extremely damaging consequences – not only for Iran and its neighbours, but for the entire international community – should the US and Israel once again resort to the use of force.
❗️Needless to say, the option of a ground operation on Iranian territory would be entirely unacceptable and dangerous.
Russia is firmly committed toproviding comprehensive assistance to diplomatic efforts aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the crisis and has put forward a number of considerations aimed at resolving differences around Iran’s nuclear programme.
As for the Ukrainian settlement, the US President emphasised the importance of ending hostilities as soon as possible, as well as his readiness to contribute to this in every possible way. His authorised representatives will continue contacts both with Moscow and Kiev.
Donald Trump believes that a deal that would put an end to the conflict in Ukraine is already within reach.
At Trump’s request, Vladimir Putin described the current situation along the line of contact, where our troops retain the strategic initiative and continue to push back enemy positions.
It was also noted that since the beginning of 2025, Russia has repatriated more than 20,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian servicemen, while Ukraine has returned just over 500 bodies to Russia.
Both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump essentially shared similar assessments of the conduct of the Kiev regime led by Zelensky, which, incited and supported by the Europeans, is pursuing a line aimed at prolonging the conflict.
👉 The Russian Leader stated plainly that Kiev is resorting to openly terrorist methods by attacking purely civilian facilities on Russian territory.
The Russian President reaffirmed that the goals of the special military operationwill be achieved in any case. Naturally, we would prefer this to be the result of a negotiating process, for which Zelensky must respond positively to the well-known proposals that have been put forward repeatedly, including by the American Side.
Notably, Donald Trump gave a positive assessment of Russia’s recently announced Easter ceasefire. In this context, Vladimir Putin informed his American counterpart of his readiness to announce a ceasefire for the period of Victory Day celebrations as well. Donald Trump actively supported this initiative, noting that the holiday marks our shared Victory over Nazism in World War II.
When discussing Russia-US relations, both Sides spoke about the great potential for mutually beneficial projects in the economy and energy sectors. The Presidents noted that a number of large-scale economic initiatives are already being substantively discussed between representatives of our countries.
🤝The Presidents agreed to stay in contact – both personally and at the level of their aides and representatives.
The Presidents parted warmly and wished each other all the best.
***
The conversation was conducted at the initiative of the Russian Side.
#RussiaUSA
⚡️Comment by Aide to the President Yury Ushakov regardingPresident Vladimir Putin’s meeting with US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff(January 23, 2026)
Read in full
💬Yury Ushakov: President Vladimir Putin has held a meeting with US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.Jared Kushner and Josh Gruenbaum also attended the meeting. The latter is a White House Senior Advisor who specialises in economic matters. This was his first time joining the US team.
🤝 The talks lasted about four hours and were exceptionally in-depth, constructive, and, I should say, constituted an extremely frank and heart-to-heart conversation.
As you know, our counterparts arrived from Davos after taking part in a series of events together with President Donald Trump, including those concerning the Ukraine settlement. These meetings literally lasted until it was time for them to leave for Moscow.
They provided first-hand accounts of these events and shared their impressions, as well as their latest thoughts and assessments regarding the meeting between the President of the United States and Zelensky in Davos. <...>
An agreement on the next step in this direction has been reached. An agreement was reached to hold the first meeting of a trilateral working group on security matters today, this Friday, January 23, in Abu Dhabi, with Russia, the United States and Ukraine. At the same time, Abu Dhabi will also host a meeting of the heads of the bilateral working group on economic matters. This bilateral group was formed by Russia and the United States, led by Kirill Dmitriev and Steve Witkoff.
Our negotiating team on security matters has already been formed and will depart for the Emirates in a few hours. The group includes senior officials from the Defence Ministry, led by Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff Admiral Kostyukov.
I would also like to inform you that the President of Russia has given our delegation specific instructions based on today's conversation with the United States.
Importantly, the participants in the conversation between the President of Russia and the Americans reaffirmed the fact that:
☝️ achieving a lasting settlement is unlikely without addressing the territorial issue based on the formula agreed upon in Anchorage.
Vladimir Putin has emphasised Russia’s sincere commitment to settling the Ukraine crisis by political and diplomatic means.
However, as long as this is not the case, Russia will persist in its consistent effort to achieve the special military operation’s goals on the battlefield, where Russia’s Armed Forces hold the strategic initiative.
During the meeting at the Kremlin, we also discussed Donald Trump’s idea of a Board of Peace, a host of regional matters and the Greenland issue.
While exchanging views on the Board of Peace, we emphasised our readiness to transfer US$1 billion from Russia’s assets frozen under the previous US administration to its budget. The remaining Russian assets frozen in the US can be used for rebuilding the territories damaged during the hostilities after a peace agreement is signed between Russia and Ukraine. Discussions on this issue will continue in the bilateral economic group.
I would like to note that the further development of bilateral Russian-US relations was discussed conceptually, considering the vast potential for cooperation in various spheres.
American representatives are already considering certain plans that could be implemented after the settlement of the Ukraine crisis.
<...>
Overall, as I mentioned, the meeting that has just ended at the Kremlin was beneficial in every sense for both us and the American Side.
It was decided that the Russian and American Sides will maintain close contact on Ukraine and other issues.
#RussiaUSA
🇷🇺🇺🇸📞 On April 17, 2025, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the United States Secretary of State Marco Rubiohad a telephone conversation.
Secretary Rubio, who is currently in Paris, informed the Russian side about the recent engagements that he and US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had in the French capital. These discussions involved representatives from Ukraine, France, and several other European nations. It was underscored that these contacts were in alignment with the framework of ongoing consultations between Washington and Moscow, including the recent dialogue between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg.
Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow’s readiness to continue collaborative efforts with American counterparts to comprehensively address the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis.
The Foreign Minister and Secretary of State concurred on the necessity to maintain prompt communication channels, particularly in light of forthcoming meetings scheduled by American and European officials with Ukrainian representatives next week.
#RussiaUSA