Russia Calls Trump's Push for Direct Communication 'Commendable, 'Ukraine Crisis Could Have Been Avoided

Russia Calls Trump's Push for Direct Communication 'Commendable'

Sputnik

Russia considers Trump's desire to establish direct communication with Moscow "commendable," the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday. 

"The desire to establish direct communication is commendable . If we manage to return our relations to at least a semblance of normality, including the work of the ambassadors in Washington and Moscow, such a development would be a definite achievement," the ministry said in answers to media questions prepared for press conference of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. 

Russia is not going to "flatter itself about the new, old president" Trump and has no illusions about him, the statement read.

"During his first term, contrary to expectations, the process of destroying bilateral ties launched by [former US President Barack] Obama only continued, and in terms of the scale of anti-Russian sanctions imposed, Donald Trump surpassed his predecessors," the ministry said. 

Relations between Russia and United States under Biden administration have been reduced to teetering on the verge of rupture, the ministry said, adding that Trump's return to White House seriously changes the political landscape, but Moscow does not expect dramatic changes to take place.

Putin: Ukraine Crisis Could Have Been Avoided if 2020 US Election Wasn't Stolen

Sputnik

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that he is ready to talk calmly with US President Donald Trump on all areas that are of interest to both countries. 

"We should meet, based on today's realities, to talk calmly about all those areas that are of interest to both the US and Russia. We are ready, but, I repeat, this depends first of all on the decisions and choices of the current US administration," Putin said during his visit to Moscow State University. 

Russia can have many points of contact with the US administration, including economic issues, Putin said, adding that Russia and the United States have a lot to talk about on economy and energy issues.

"What is typical for the Russian and American economies? We are not only one of the largest producers of energy resources, but we are also the largest consumers of them. This means that for both our economy and the US economy, too high prices are bad, because it is necessary to produce domestically. Using energy resources, it is necessary to produce other goods within the country. And too low prices are also very bad, because it undermines the investment opportunities of energy companies," he said.

Putin remarked that he has always had businesslike and pragmatic relations with Trump, noting that Moscow welcomes Trump's statements about a willingness to work together and remains open to it.

Trump is "not only an intelligent person, he is a pragmatic person," Putin added.

The previous administration of US President Joe Biden refused to contact with Russia, and it is not Moscow's fault, Putin noted. Furthermore, Russia has never refused to use the US dollar in foreign trade transactions.

Ukraine Crisis

Russia is ready for talks on the Ukraine conflict, but there are issues that need attention, the Russian president added. The problem is that Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky has banned himself from holding peace talks with Russia.

"It is well-known that the current leader of the regime in Kiev, when he was still fairly legitimate, signed a decree banning negotiations. How can negotiations be resumed now if they are forbidden?" Putin said.