Russian President Vladimir Putin praised his American counterpart Donald Trump on Friday, referring to him as the “light at the end of the tunnel” for the currently strained relations between Moscow and Washington.
During an event in Sarov, a closed city approximately 370 kilometers east of Moscow that has served as a base for Russia’s nuclear weapons program since the late 1940s, Putin remarked, “Our relationship with the United States is at its lowest point since World War II, but with President Trump’s arrival, I believe we finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Putin also commended Trump’s leadership qualities, expressing hope that the initial steps taken would lead to a “complete restoration” of Russian-American relations.
He noted that Russian companies are already discussing plans with “American partners” regarding collaboration in the Arctic and Alaska, particularly in the liquefied natural gas sector.
These comments coincided with a recorded interview in which Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press with Kristen Welker,” stating that there are currently no plans for a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky—an idea proposed by Trump to help resolve the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine that has persisted for over three years.