Vladimir Putin on Wednesday dismissed Donald Trump’s accusation that he had conspired with China’s Xi Jinping and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un against the United States, calling the US President’s comments his “sense of humour.”
“All countries with which Russia held talks in China supported the Russia-US summit in Alaska and had expressed hopes that the talks could help end the war in Ukraine,” the Russian President said.
An invitation for Trump to visit Russia was “on the table,” Putin confirmed, though he stressed that “there were no preparations for such a trip at the moment.”
Putin had extended the invitation during their Alaska meeting last month, closing their joint news appearance by saying, in English, “next time in Moscow.”
Trump struck a different note earlier on Wednesday.
In a post on Truth Social, he wrote: “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un as you conspire against the United States of America.” He added that he was “very disappointed” with Putin.
Putin also commented on the role of US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who played a key role in last month’s summit.
It was not for him to judge the work of US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Putin said, but added that the meeting “showed that Witkoff had conveyed Russia’s views accurately to the US administration.”
Critics of Witkoff, a real estate billionaire, argue that he has been out of his depth in recent meetings with the Kremlin, sowing confusion in his briefings to Trump and US allies, reported Reuters.
Putin also said he remained open to direct talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
“As for a meeting with Zelenskiy I have never ruled out the possibility of such a meeting. But is there any point? Let’s see,” Putin said.
Zelenskiy has pressed for a face-to-face meeting. Putin said on Wednesday that he was ready for such talks “if the Ukrainian leader came to Moscow.”
He repeated Russia’s view that any progress would require Ukraine to cancel martial law, hold elections, and conduct a referendum on territorial questions.
Moscow claims to have annexed four Ukrainian regions in 2022, a move rejected by Kyiv and most Western countries.