Putin Praises Trump For 'Restraint' Towards EU Leaders; Calls EU 'Hysteria' Unwarranted

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Feb 19 that US President Donald Trump shows “restraint” towards European leaders in mutual relations. Putin also said that Europe is in "hysteria" about being at US-Russia negotiations, saying US and Russia have no need for meditation. Earlier, Putin said that Ukraine would not be excluded from negotiations to end the war, but success would depend on raising the level of trust between Moscow and Washington. Putin, speaking a day after Russia and the United States held their first talks on how to end the three-year conflict, also said it would take time to set up a summit with US President Donald Trump, which both men have said they want, and there was no point in meeting just to drink tea. He praised the outcome of Tuesday's meeting in Saudi Arabia, where Russia and the US agreed to appoint negotiating teams on Ukraine and discussed ways to reset their bilateral relations, which the Kremlin described as "below zero" under Trump's predecessor Joe Biden.