Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised his American counterpart Donald Trump for his role in improving relations between the United States and Russia, saying that thanks to him, these relations are "beginning to stabilize."
"In general, thanks to President Trump, relations between Russia and the United States are starting to level out in some aspects," Putin said during a statement to reporters in Minsk.
Putin added that he has "great respect" for Trump and that a meeting between them is "completely possible."
Meanwhile, the Russian president announced that Russia plans to reduce military spending in the long term, acknowledging that the country is facing budgetary difficulties due to rising defense spending, which, according to him, has fueled inflation.
Putin also said Moscow is ready to hold a new round of peace talks with Ukraine. He mentioned the Turkish city of Istanbul as a possible meeting venue, although the date and location have not yet been set.
Putin also said that Russia is ready to return the bodies of another 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed in the fighting. In negotiations held in Istanbul on June 2, Ukraine and Russia agreed to exchange a total of 12,000 bodies of killed soldiers.