Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a joint press conference with U.S. President Donald Trump that "the recent period has been very difficult in relations between the two sides, and the situation needed to be corrected." According to him, "We established very good direct contact with Trump, and we see his desire to understand the essence of the conflict with Ukraine. We are sincerely interested in ending the conflict - but its fundamental roots must be resolved." Putin further stated: "I agree with Trump that Ukraine's security must be ensured, I hope mutual understanding will lead to peace. We expect that Ukraine and Europe will not try to sabotage the talks. I want to thank Trump for the cooperation and for the friendly tone of the conversation."