Russian President Vladimir Putin and President-Elect Donald Trump each said they were prepared to engage in talks following Trump’s election victory. 

At the Valdai forum on Thursday, the Russian leader said, “I take this opportunity to congratulate [Trump],” adding he was “ready” to speak with the incoming American president. Trump also stated he was prepared to engage with the Kremlin. He told NBC News, “I think we’ll speak.” 

American-Russian diplomacy is crucial for world stability. During Trump’s first term, he withdrew from two key arms control agreements with Moscow. Subsequently, President Joe Biden waged a proxy war against Russia by flooding Ukraine with billions in weapons. 

The US policy of expanding NATO – while abandoning arms agreements and helping Ukraine conduct missile strikes inside Russia – has Washington on the verge of a potentially nuclear conflict with Moscow. 

Trump ran for office saying that he would end the war in Ukraine on day one without laying out a detailed plan on how he plans to accomplish it. 

One issue that could prevent a deal is Kiev’s possible future membership in the Washington-led North Atlantic Alliance. As a condition for ending the war, the Russian leader restated his demand that Ukraine agree not to join NATO.

 “If there is no neutrality, it is difficult to imagine the existence of any good-neighborly relations between Russia and Ukraine,” Putin said at the forum. “We are determined to create conditions for a long-term settlement so that Ukraine is an independent, sovereign state, and not an instrument in the hands of third countries, and not used in their interests.” 

The remarks followed a report in the Wall Street Journal that sources within Trump’s orbit say he will propose a two-decade delay regarding Ukraine’s pending NATO membership. During that period, the US would continue to “pump Ukraine full of weapon.” The Kremlin will almost certainly view both conditions as non-starters.