Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that talks about a security guarantee for Ukraine – against Russia – must involve Moscow itself. "Moscow won't agree with collective security guarantees negotiated without Russia," he said, implying a Russian veto over defenses for Ukraine.

NATO allies and Ukraine are working together to make sure security guarantees for Ukraine are at such a robust level that Russia will never try to attack again, NATO chief Mark Rutte said on Friday, adding that Europe and the United States would be involved in providing them.

President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that there was "light at the end of the tunnel" in Russia-U.S. relations and that the two countries were discussing joint projects in the Arctic and Alaska.

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has said that Russia is discussing with the United States the possibility of cooperation in the Arctic and in Alaska. Source: Putin at a meeting with nuclear industry workers,

Russia's leader said he was "confident that the leadership qualities" of Trump are a "good guarantee" of future agreements between global superpowers.