WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Friday that it had prevented the activities of Daesh terrorist group's supporters in St. Petersburg, who planned to carry out a terrorist attack later in December. Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked US President Donald Trump during a phone conversation at the initiative of the Russian side for the intelligence data provided by the CIA that helped detain the terrorists.
Trump told the Russian president that US intelligence was pleased to assist in preventing a terror attack in St. Petersburg.
"President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia called President Donald J. Trump today to thank him for the advanced warning the United States intelligence agencies provided to Russia concerning a major terror plot in Saint Petersburg, Russia… President Trump appreciated the call and told President Putin that he and the entire United States intelligence community were pleased to have helped save so many lives," the White House said in a statement late on Sunday.
Putin and his US counterpart have welcomed the prevention of a terror attack as a positive example of bilateral cooperation, the White House statement read.
“President Trump stressed the importance of intelligence cooperation to defeat terrorists wherever they may be. Both leaders agreed that this serves as an example of the positive things that can occur when our countries work together,” the White House said.
The US President expressed gratitude to the CIA on Putin's request for the work done on prevention of a terror attack.
As the United States has provided valuable intelligence information to Russia, it could be a sign that the exchange of intelligence information between the countries might be restored, Russia's Senior Lawmaker Vladimir Dzhabarov told Sputnik on Sunday.
"This is a very encouraging signal that gives grounds to hope for the resumption of information exchange between the special services of Russia and the United States, which is necessary for an effective fight against terrorism," Dzhabarov, who serves as the first deputy chairman of the Russian upper house's International Affairs Committee, said.
"There are, of course, many pitfalls in the face of the US Congress, but at least we see that Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump have regular telephone contacts, for which Trump in the United States is not heavily criticized. Let's start with this, and then gradually develop relations," Dzhabarov added.
The Kremlin has repeatedly emphasized that Russia is willing to develop ties with the US on an equal basis and with mutual respect, with President Putin saying during his large-scale end-of-year press conference earlier this week that he hopes that Trump "will have opportunities to improve contacts" with Moscow in line with the US president's campaign pledges to "get along" with Russia.
