Rome [Italy], July 4: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said the nation is prepared to step up talks with his United States counterpart Donald Trump on strategic stability and disarmament, further adding he discussed regional and global issues with Trump during a summit held on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, last weekend.
During an interview with Italy’s Corriere Della Sera newspaper, Putin was quoted as saying, “I think that reaching concrete measures in the field of disarmament would contribute to strengthening international stability. Russia has the political willingness to do it. Now it is up to the US,” to decide.
Putin, who is slated to meet Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Pope Francis on Thursday, stated he held discussions about all these issues with the US president at the Group of 20 summit 2019.
“Recently, it seems that Washington has started to reflect about stepping up dialogue with Russia over a wide strategic agenda,” Putin added.
On June 13, Putin has said relations with the US were getting “worse and worse”, noting the current US administration imposed several sanctions on Moscow.
Russia-US relations remain soared by everything from Ukraine to Syria, as well as, alleged claims of Russia meddling the US 2016 presidential election, which Russia strongly opposes.
The Russian president has contrasted Moscow’s tempered ties with the US with what he has described as its glooming relations with China, a bolstering strategic friendship that alarmed some US policymakers.
Trump has also stated he hoped Washington would have “a great relationship with Russia” but vowed to deploy additional 1,000 troops to Poland which it sought to counter possible aggression from Russia.
Also read: Vladimir Putin: US-Russia relations are getting ‘worse and worse’