ASTANA, Jul. 5 (Sputnik) - Russia is ready to discuss the issues of strategic stability with the United States but it is necessary to wait for the new administration in Washington to understand their stance, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
"We have to wait for the US elections and understand the mood and preferences of the future administration. We are ready for that," Putin told reporters, adding that Russia is ready for a "dialogue" with the US.
Putin also said that it is "impossible" to talk about constructive dialogue before elections in the US.
The president also recalled that Russia has formulated its security proposals, adding that their should be a "goodwill" from other countries as well.
Russia takes seriously Donald Trump's statement on being ready to stop the armed conflict in Ukraine, Putin commented.
"What Mr. Trump is saying as a presidential candidate regarding him being ready and willing to stop the war in Ukraine, we are treating this quite seriously. I am not familiar, of course, with his possible proposals on how he is going to achieve that. And that is of course the key point. But I have not doubt that he is speaking sincerely, " Putin told reporters.
President Putin mentioned that he watched fragments of last week's presidential debate between US President Joe Biden and his Republican challenger, Donald Trump.
"Well, I saw some fragments. I have plenty of things to do, so I don't really keep tabs on what is happening there... In general, of course, I saw some of it, there was no avoiding it," he said.
Vladimir Putin pointed out that it was pointless to try and engage with the Ukrainian parliament as long as it answered to a government that was clinging on to power illegally.
"The ruling elite ... because it is staying in power illegally, has not even sought the Constitutional Court's confirmation for its term," the president said, referring to the 2015 Supreme Court's ruling, which limited to the presidential term to five years, with no extensions.
Putin added that it was "possible to address the Rada, of course, but it would be pointless as long as the ruling elite in Ukraine holds on to power illegally, because the majority in the Rada is controlled by this so-called ruling elite."
Russia and Turkiye are interested in developing relations, he noted, adding that it is no secret who stands in the way of Moscow and Ankara.
"In general, on both sides there is interest in this... natural [interest], related not to the fact that someone is standing in our way, but to the real development of events in Turkiye," Putin told reporters, adding that "everyone knows" who stands in a way of Russian-Turkish relations.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s political will allows building Ankara-Moscow relations, Putin added.
"We agreed in the declaration and say in other documents that all SCO countries oppose the placement of any weapons in space — this is after all a signal to the rest of the world about how we view the militarization of outer space," Putin told reporters.
The Taliban* movement are Russia’s allies in fight against terrorism, the president said.
"The Taliban movement have made certain commitments … but in general we have to assume that the Taliban control the power in the country. And in that sense, the Taliban are certainly allies for us in fight against terrorism," Putin told reporters, adding that Russia needs to "maintain relations" with real political structures in Afghanistan and will do so.
Russia has "received such signals" from the Taliban regarding their readiness to cooperation in fight against terrorism many times, Putin added.
Regarding Afghanistan’s full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Putin said that this issue concerns all SCO members and not just Russia.
The United States remains a great economic and military power and a core member of the UN Security Council, Putin also noted.
"The United States remains a great power with known capabilities in the areas of the economy, security and military affairs," he told reporters.
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