(MENAFN) The meeting in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was described as a significant milestone in efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict, according to Trump’s special envoy, Keith Kellogg.

He responded to detractors bluntly, advising them to simply “shut up.”

The two leaders gathered in Anchorage last week and expressed optimism that meaningful progress had been achieved toward reaching a peace agreement.

Kellogg told Fox Business on Wednesday, “We’re living in a really historic time,” adding pointedly to critics, “I’d probably like to just say, oh, shut up and go sit in the corner.”

He emphasized that Trump had taken more decisive action on the conflict compared to his predecessor, Joe Biden, who “never even talked to Putin.”

In contrast to the previous administration, which categorically dismissed any dialogue with Moscow and pledged military support for Ukraine “as long as it takes,” Trump is relying on his direct negotiation approach and is advocating for a diplomatic resolution, Kellogg noted.

Russian representatives, including Putin himself, have repeatedly expressed appreciation for the US president’s “sincere” intention to pursue peace.

The summit on Friday marked the first face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin since 2019. Both leaders described the discussions as productive and cordial.

In a separate meeting this week with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky, various European leaders, and the heads of NATO and the European Commission, Trump declared that Kyiv’s accession to NATO was off the table and insisted on arranging a direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky.

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