Putin Ready To Meet 'Smart, Pragmatic’ Trump To 'Talk Calmly’ On Oil, Energy, Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated Friday that he’s ready to meet with US President Donald Trump in order to hopefully find „common ground” on strategic security and economic issues, particularly related to the Ukraine war.

„It will likely be better for us to meet, and based on today’s realities, speak calmly about areas that are of interest for both the US and Russia,” Putin said in televised comments. „We are ready, but this depends above all on the decision and choice of the current US administration.”

The Russian leader further acknowledged that Trump is a „pragmatic” and „smart” leader. This rare moment of praise at a time US-Russia relations are at a historical low point in modern history came despite Trump’s threats of new sanctions and tariffs unless Moscow quickly ends the nearly three-year long Ukraine war.

„I’ve always had a businesslike, pragmatic and even trusting relationship with the current president,” Putin said in the state broadcast.

And most interestingly, he continued: „And I can’t help but agree that if his victory hadn’t been stolen in 2020, the crisis in Ukraine might not have emerged in 2022.”

These words will be proverbial music to Trump’s ears, which demonstrates that Putin is truly seeking for the much-anticipated meeting to happen quickly. Soon after Monday’s inauguration Trump told reporters he expects to meet Putin „soon”.

Putin in these latest comments painted a theme of the US shooting itself in the foot with the sanctions, which would grow worse if more extreme measures are taken by Washington against Moscow. It had „hurt US interests, undermining the dollar’s role in global financial system,” Putin described as cited in the AP.

„I have a hard time imagining decisions being made that would damage the American economy,” Putin added of potentially extreme fluctuations in oil prices due to America’s sanctions policy and efforts to isolate Moscow.

Putin was indirectly addressing some provocative words of Trump given at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday evening, wherein he laid out that OPEC should to push down global oil prices in order to hurt vital stream of revenue for the Kremlin and its military machine. „Right now the price is high enough that that war will continue,” Trump had said. According to more:

Oil and gas revenues have been Russia’s most important source of cash, accounting for a third to a half of federal budget proceeds over the past decade.

On Friday, Putin downplayed Trump’s economic threats, saying „excessively” low oil prices were bad for both the US and Russia.

Markets have mostly shrugged off the back-and-forth, but oil prices dropped slightly on Putin’s energy comments…

As for the practical reality of what it will take to eventually get Putin and Zelensky at the same table, or their representatives directly engaged, the Russian leader explained the following:

Putin emphasized Friday that he’s open to talks but pointed to Zelenskyy’s 2022 decision to rule out negotiations with Moscow.

„How is it possible to conduct talks if they are banned?” Putin said. „If the talks start in the existing legal framework, they would be illegitimate and the results of those talks could also be declared illegitimate.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he’s ready to discuss crude oil prices and other energy issues at a face-to-face meeting with US leader Donald Trump (translation via AP) https://t.co/sIkbFWHugb pic.twitter.com/BrKi8vNojx

— Bloomberg (@business) January 24, 2025

But Zelensky has only within recent days begun to shift his rhetoric a little on this, which is no doubt the result of Trump entering office in expectation of a pressure campaign for peace.

At Davos yesterday…

President Trump asks Saudi Arabia and OPEC to flood the market with oil to bring down the price to undermine Russia’s oil revenues, which is the chief source of funding for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/VLvJLzNq0R

— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) January 23, 2025

There are reports saying that Zelensky fumed with anger at not being invited or in attendance from Trump’s Monday inauguration and all the ceremonies and celebrations that go along with it. Certainly Zelensky won’t be happy if Trump in reaction to Putin’s fresh remarks heaps praise on the Russian leader or say any level of positive things. One thing is for sure – Zelensky has lost his rock start status with a new US administration in town, and the global spotlight is now on Trump-Putin.