MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Alaska is an important step toward peace in Ukraine, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini said on Saturday.

«The summit was an important step toward the goal of achieving lasting peace in Ukraine,» Pellegrini wrote on social media.

The atmosphere of mutual respect during the Russia-US summit in Alaska has also opened the door for further negotiations, the Slovak president said.

On Friday, Putin and Trump met in Anchorage, Alaska for a three-on-three format talks that lasted 2 hours and 45 minutes. In addition to the presidents, Russia was represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and presidential aide Yury Ushakov, and the United States by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.