Minsk (TDI): Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that relations between Moscow and Washington appear to be stabilizing, attributing the improvement to efforts by US President Donald Trump.
Speaking at a press conference in Minsk, Putin praised Trump, expressing “great respect” for the US president and signaling his openness to a bilateral meeting, provided it is well-prepared. “Thanks to President Trump, we are seeing some balance return to US-Russia relations,” he noted.
Although he admitted diplomatic ties between the two nations were far from fully resolved, Putin said initial steps had been taken to move forward.
In a move likely to raise eyebrows in the West, Putin also announced Russia is considering a reduction in military spending over the next three years. The statement comes just as NATO members agreed to raise their collective defense spending to 5% of GDP over the next decade, citing continued security concerns related to Russia.
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Putin dismissed NATO’s decision as a matter of internal alliance policy, suggesting the funds would largely benefit American defense contractors. “Let them spend, it’s their choice,” he remarked. “But we, on the other hand, are thinking of scaling back. Discussions are ongoing among our defense, finance, and economic ministries, and though nothing is final, this is the direction we’re exploring.”
Putin implied that NATO’s increased budget raised questions about who is truly escalating tensions. “They claim we are the aggressors. But if we’re planning to cut back and they are increasing, what does that say?”
Western observers are likely to treat Putin’s remarks with deep skepticism, especially in light of Russia’s significant ramp-up in defense spending since the start of its invasion of Ukraine.
Although the war continues with no real sign of a breakthrough, Putin praised Trump’s efforts to help resolve the crisis. “He recently said it’s proving harder than it looks from the outside. He’s absolutely right,” Putin commented.
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Trump, for his part, told reporters that he believes the conflict in Ukraine might soon move toward a resolution. He referred to a recent phone call with Putin, during which they also touched on Iran.
“Putin called and said he wanted to help with Iran,” Trump said at the White House. “I told him, ‘Let me handle Iran. Help me out with Russia.’ I think we’ll see something happen there.”
Trump also welcomed Putin’s public statements, calling them “very nice.”
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
