U.S. President Barack Obama said his meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in the Kremlin on Monday made progress toward improving the U.S.'s relations with Russia.
At a press conference following his sit down with Medvedev, Obama said the two countries need to move beyond "the suspicion and rivalry of the past." He acknowledged, however, that areas of disagreement remain, pointing to Russia's friction with Georgia.
Obama, on his first trip to Moscow since taking office, was asked if he trusts the Russian president.
"Yes, I trust President Medvedev to not only listen and negotiate constructively, but also to follow through," Obama said, praising Medvedev as "straight-forward and professional."
Asked about Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who many view as more powerful than Medvedev, Obama said he would deal directly with the president, but also reach out to Putin to get a "full picture" of the Russian landscape.
He said his impression is that Putin and Medvedev are working effectively together.