Putin Praises Trump’s “Pragmatism” as U.S.-Russia Talks Resume Without Ukraine

Russian leader Vladimir Putin expressed cautious optimism about the Trump administration’s approach to bilateral relations during a meeting of the Russian Federal Security Service’s (FSB) board on February 27.

Putin said initial engagements with U.S. officials “inspire certain hopes” and praised the Trump administration for what he described as its “pragmatism.” His remarks follow two rounds of diplomatic meetings between U.S. and Russian representatives, first in Riyadh on Feb. 18 and again in Istanbul on February 27.

Putin claimed that some Western countries are unhappy about the renewed U.S.-Russia engagement and may attempt to disrupt the process. “These forces will try to disrupt or compromise the dialogue that has begun,” he said, without providing evidence.

In response to the talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated that any discussions about ending Russia’s war against Ukraine must include Kyiv. “We want our European allies to be part of the negotiations,” Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian government has insisted that no agreements should be made without its involvement.

Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States would seek to help Ukraine regain some of its occupied territories through negotiations.