The Kremlin has praised President Donald Trump for his offer of help in battling wildfires in Russia’s Siberian region, which President Vladimir Putin said is a signal that U.S.-Russian relations could soon be restored.
More than 2,700 responders are currently fighting the Siberian wildfires, according to Tass. Some 390 ground vehicles and 28 aircraft have also been brought in to tackle the blazes, which have prompted the government to declare a state of emergency in four regions.
Putin thanked his American counterpart for the offer, but explained that a fleet of firefighting aircraft had already been formed to address the wildfires. Nonetheless, Putin said Trump’s offer was a positive signal, and one that suggested “in the future, it will be possible to restore full-format relations between the two countries.”
The Kremlin also said Putin thanked Trump “for such attentive attitude, for offering help and support,” Tass noted. The Russian Emergencies Ministry had previously explained it was experiencing some logistical difficulties related to the firefighting aircraft, but that “issues of refueling and stationing aircraft and helicopters are being resolved.”
Despite a range of U.S. sanctions against Russia—put in place in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea, meddling in the 2016 presidential election and attempted murder of a former Russian spy now living in the U.K.—Trump has sought to build a close relationship with Putin.
Trump even threatened to withhold federal funds earmarked for forest maintenance, even as the fires continued to rage and killed dozens of people. Though the president later approved fast-tracked disaster aid, he still proposed slashing funding for the national forest system by 19 percent, Bloomberg noted.