Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to help ease Europe's refugee crisis during a meeting with the German chancellor. It's Angela Merkel's first meeting with President Putin since his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump last month. But, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, no agreements were reached after the meeting. Guy Henderson has more.

Even as other western leaders became reluctant, these two kept on talking. But this is new: an invite from the German chancellor to a rural retreat outside Berlin. And, from the Russian president, an offer of help.

VLADIMIR PUTIN RUSSIAN PRESIDENT "Let me remind you that one million refugees are in Jordan, one million in Lebanon, three million refugees are in Turkey. This is potentially a huge burden for Europe. Therefore, it's better to do everything so that these people could come back home. What must be done for that? Elementary things: we need to help to restore water supply, sewerage systems, medicine, the most basic things."

Things that are still being destroyed as the Syrian government - backed by Russia -- bears down on some of the final rebel strongholds. The UN warns over two million more people may yet flee - some of them, surely, to Europe. The German chancellor called for restraint: her main bargaining chip now, perhaps, reconstruction funds that could amount to $250 billion and which Moscow would struggle to afford.

Though it may soon have a major new revenue stream: a controversial pipeline called Nord Stream 2, that will send Russian gas directly to Germany, by passing Ukraine.

Progress has been slow for fears it would undermine Kiev while eroding the effects of sanctions. But a deal appears close.

ANGELA MERKEL GERMAN CHANCELLOR "Regarding Ukraine, we are also going to talk about gas transit. I think that Ukraine, even with the new Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in place, should play a role in the gas transit to Europe."

That's if U.S. President Donald Trump doesn't block it, which he'd suggested he might do ahead of a NATO summit last month. "I think it's very sad when Germany makes a massive gas deal with Russia." Before appearing to change his mind a few days later after meeting with Putin in Helsinki.

That meeting may have opened a window of opportunity for the Russian leader to get back near the center of the European stage. So he attended the Austrian foreign minister's wedding on the way here - and his office released these photos portraying an intimate get-together before talks had even wrapped up.

GUY HENDERSON BERLIN "There were no breakthroughs here - none were expected. But both appear to view this meeting as the start of a process and have made their priorities pretty clear: Angela Merkel wants Russia to finally bring an end to the violence in Syria and Ukraine. Vladimir Putin's priority is to rebuild ties - with the Russia economy at the forefront of his mind. Guy Henderson, CGTN, Berlin."