MOSCOW (Sputnik) — He also said that he and the US president-elect will think how to normalize bilateral ties.
"Trump said during the election campaign that he believed it was right to normalize Russian-US relations and said that it couldn’t get worse because [they] were worse than ever. I agree with him. We will think together how to make [the bilateral relations] better," Putin said during an annual press conference.
A meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump will have to take place when Trump has formed the government so that the Russian and US leaders could prepare properly to discuss the normalization of ties, he said.
"It is difficult to say at this time. The US president-elect has to be able to form his team first. Otherwise, meeting unprepared is inexpedient," Putin said at an annual press conference, when asked about the possible date for his meeting with Trump. "What issues will be [discussed] there? The normalization of our relationship," the president added.
Putin that he was willing to travel to the United States if Trump invites him.
"If he will invite [me], then of course, I will travel [to the United Sates]," Putin said.
He said that he expected Moscow to improve its relations with the US administration next year, including on security and economy.
Asked at an annual press conference what he expected to see next year in US-Russia ties, Putin replied, "changes in our intergovernmental relations that will bring them back on track toward a normal cooperation on the state level in order to resolve issues our countries and the entire world face, primarily on security and sustained economic growth."
"We have a lot of topics for cooperation," Putin assured journalists in Moscow.
