By ELENA SALVONI

Published: 14:15 GMT, 19 February 2025 | Updated: 14:34 GMT, 19 February 2025

Vladimir Putin has said that he will meet with Donald Trump after praising the US President for ‘changing his position’ when he ‘began to receive objective information’.

The Russian dictator said he rated the talks held in Saudi Arabia ‘highly’, describing them as a ‘first step’ to restore relations with Washington.

‘I was briefed (on the talks). I rate them highly, there is a result,’ Putin said at a drone factory in Saint Petersburg, adding: ‘In my opinion, we made the first step to restore work in various areas of mutual interests’.

He said that securing a resolution to the conflict is a priority for Russia, but added that his country must build trust with the United States in order to achieve this.

‘It is impossible to solve many issues, including the Ukrainian crisis, without increasing the level of trust between Russia and the United States,’ Putin said in the televised meeting.

He added that Trump had told him that Ukraine will take part in future talks, without adding further detail.

It comes after Volodymyr Zelensky accused the US President of ‘living in a disinformation space’ created by Moscow.

Speaking this morning, the Ukrainian President disputed Trump’s claims that the US has given Ukraine $500billion, calling the suggestion that Kyiv pay this back with a mineral exploration deal ‘not a serious conversation.’

‘Look, we all want a victory, and we want Trump to win, and we want Ukraine to win, all of us to succeed,’ he said. ‘But there is nothing clear here… I am protecting Ukraine. I can’t sell it away. I can’t sell our state.’

Defence Secretary John Healey said yesterday that it was ‘only the US who can provide the deterrence’ to Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured) ‘that will prevent him attacking again’

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Putin says ‘I’ll meet Trump’ and praises him for ‘receiving objective information’ after Zelensky furiously accused US leader of falling for fake news and shooting down his $500 billion minerals deal

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