Alaska visit useful, timely - Putin

MOSCOW. Aug 18 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a meeting regarding the results of Russia-U.S. talks in Alaska and called the visit timely and useful.

"I asked you to gather in order to inform about the results of our visit, our delegation's visit to the United States, to Alaska," Putin said at the meeting on Saturday, August 16.

"I want to note right away that the visit was timely and quite useful," he said.

Putin said he and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump discussed nearly all areas of the two countries' interaction, but first and foremost a possible resolution of the Ukrainian crisis.

"We spoke practically on all areas of our interaction, but first of all, of course, we talked about a possible resolution of the Ukrainian crisis on fair basis," Putin said.

"Of course, we had a possibility to talk, as we did, about the genesis, about the causes of this crisis. It is the elimination of these root causes which must lie at the heart of a settlement," Putin said.

Putin described his conversation with Trump as being frank and substantive, bringing them closer to necessary decisions on Ukraine.

"The conversation was very frank, substantive and, in my view, this brings us closer to necessary decisions," Putin said.

Putin said that he set out Russia's stance on a Ukrainian crisis settlement in detail during his talks with Trump.

"We had not held this kind of direct negotiation at such a level in a long time. I repeat once again: there was a possibility to set out our position calmly, in detail once again," Putin said.

"Certainly, we respect also the position of the U.S. administration, which sees the need for a swift cessation of hostilities. That is what we, too, would like and would like to proceed to resolve all issues by peaceful means," Putin said.

The meeting was attended by senior officials from the presidential administration, the government, State Duma, ministries and government agencies, a statement on the Kremlin website said.