ISTANBUL

The Russian and US presidents have “directly placed responsibility” on Ukraine and Europe for achieving future outcomes in the negotiations to end the war between Moscow and Kyiv, said the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council.

“Both sides directly placed responsibility for achieving future outcomes in the negotiations on ending military action (in Ukraine) on Kyiv and Europe,” Dmitry Medvedev wrote on Telegram on Saturday.

His remarks came after US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, met in Alaska on Friday. It was the first sitting between the Russian and US presidents since the start of the Ukraine war nearly three-and-a-half years ago.

“A full-fledged mechanism for meetings between Russia and the United States at the highest level has been restored,” Medvedev said, adding that Putin outlined Moscow's conditions to end the Ukraine war during his meeting with Trump.

He argued that the meeting proved negotiations are possible without preconditions and simultaneously with the continuation of Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine.

According to Medvedev, Trump has “refused to escalate” further pressure on Moscow “at least for now,” following his summit with Putin.

Trump and Putin were upbeat after their more than three-hour closed-door talks held just hours prior, with the Russian leader saying they had come to reach an "understanding."