Putin says Trump's leadership qualities 'good basis' for restoration of bilateral ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said since US President Donald Trump assumed office in Washington, the "light started to appear at the end of the tunnel for Russian-US relations," and that Trump's leadership qualities are a "good basis" for the restoration of ties between the two countries.

Speaking at a meeting with representatives of the Russian nuclear sector in the city of Sarov, Putin described the Aug. 15 meeting with Trump as "substantive and frank" that marked the beginning of a full-scale restoration of relations.

"I very much hope that the first steps which have been made are only the start of a comprehensive restoration of our relations. But it does not depend on us, it depends above all on our Western partners in the broad sense of the word because the US too is bound by certain obligations within various associations, including the North Atlantic bloc," he said.

Putin said it depends on the leadership of the US whether there will be further steps aimed at the normalization of ties between Moscow and Washington.

After the summit, contacts between Russia and the US continue at the level of ministries and companies, he added.