Putin: Ukraine won't be shut out but US-Russia trust key to deal

A Dictator without Elections, Zelensky better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left. DONALD TRUMP, US Prez

- Reuters

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Ukraine would not be excluded from negotiations to end the war, but success would depend on raising the level of trust between Moscow and Washington. Putin, speaking a day after Russia and the United States held their first talks on how to end the three-year conflict, also said it would take time to set up a summit with US President Donald Trump, which both men have said they want, and there was no point in meeting just to drink tea.

He praised the outcome of Tuesday's meeting in Saudi Arabia, where Russia and the U.S. agreed to appoint negotiating teams on Ukraine and discussed ways to reset their bilateral relations, which the Kremlin described as "below zero" under Trump's predecessor Joe Biden.

"In my opinion, we have taken a first step to resume work in a variety of areas that are of mutual interest," Putin said in televised comments. These included issues relating to the Middle East, global energy markets and cooperation in space, he said.