In New Year letter, Putin tells Trump Moscow is open for dialogue

The letter comes a month after Trump abruptly cancelled meeting with Putin on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Argentina.

Russian President Vladimir Putin/AP (File Photo)

New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin has written to US President Donald Trump on the occasion of New Year, telling him that Moscow was ready for dialogue on a "wide-ranging agenda", Reuters reported citing officials. The letter comes a month after Trump abruptly cancelled meeting with Putin on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Argentina. Trump had then cited tensions about Russian forces opening fire on Ukrainian navy boats and then seizing them. An official statement from the Moscow Kremlin said that Putin stresses that US-Russia ties are the most important factor for strategic stability and international security. Putin confirmed that Russia is open for dialogue with the US on the most wide-ranging agenda. Putin has not only sent new year greetings to Trump but to other world leaders as well including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Theresa May of Britain and Shinzo Abe of Japan and Xi Jinping of China. In a separate letter to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Putin pledged continuation of aid to the Syrian government and people in the "fight against terrorism, in defence of state sovereignty and territorial integrity". Moscow and London have also agreed to return some of the staff of their respective embassies after they expelled dozens of diplomats early this year following the alleged chemical attack of former Russian spy, which Moscow denied  strongly.