Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the talks in the so-called "Normandy format" in Milan on Friday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the talks in the so-called "Normandy format" in Milan on Friday.

"They were good," Putin said in a brief comment to journalists.

The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France held a four-party meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit to discuss the Ukrainian crisis and Russian gas transit to Europe.

The so-called "Normandy format" was established in early June when the presidents of Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine held a series of talks on the situation in Ukraine on the sidelines of the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of allied troops' landing in Normandy, France.

The ASEM was established in 1996 and unites 50 European and Asian countries, as well as the European Commission and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat. It was set to promote more informal and interactive dialogue between Europe and Asia.

Russia joined ASEM at the 8th ASEM Summit of Heads of Government and State in Brussels in October 2010. The summits are held every two years.