Alaska [US], August 16 : Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded his joint press conference with US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) by inviting Trump for further talks in Moscow.
"Next time in Moscow," Putin said.
Trump accepted the suggestion, saying, "That's an interesting one. I'll get a little heat on that one, but I can see it possibly happening."
Trump said that the next step now rests with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, adding that a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin would be arranged soon.
"Now it's really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done," Trump told the local media. "They're going to set up a meeting now between President Zelenskyy and President Putin and myself, I guess," Trump told the media, as reported by CNN.
He declined to disclose the remaining issues holding up a deal, saying only that he wants "to see what we can get done."
Despite the lack of a formal agreement, Trump described the summit as a success, rating it "10 out of 10, in the sense that we got along great."
"I want to make sure it gets done," he added, as per CNN. "And we have a pretty good chance of getting it done."
Trump said he and Putin agreed that the Ukraine conflict would end with land swaps and US-backed some type of security guarantee.
When asked about territorial concessions that would give Russia land it didn't have previously and potential US security assurances for Ukraine, Trump said it was a point of agreement with Putin, as per CNN.
"Well, I think those are points that we negotiated, and those are points that we largely have agreed on," he said. "Actually, I think we agree on a lot. I can tell you, the meeting was a warm meeting," he said.
He called Putin a "strong guy" and "tough as hell," but said the meeting was positive. "I think we're pretty close to the end. And look, Ukraine has to agree to it," Trump said, as reported by CNN.
On advice for Zelenskyy, Trump said simply, "Gotta make a deal."
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