Washington DC [US]: US President-elect Donald Trump announced on Thursday (local time) that plans are underway for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Reuters reported. However, he did not specify a timeline for the discussions.
According to Reuters, Trump disclosed that arrangements for the meeting were being made but offered no further details about when or where the talks might take place.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, quoted by Russian news agency TASS, welcomed the prospect of high-level talks. “In case [Trump’s] political will to resume high-level contacts after he takes office persists, then, of course, President Putin will only welcome this,” Peskov stated. He reiterated that President Putin has repeatedly expressed readiness for dialogue and emphasized the importance of such discussions.
Previously, Trump suggested he would like to meet with Putin within the first six months of taking office. However, Peskov noted that no formal requests for such a meeting have yet been received from the American side.
In December last year, during his annual press conference, Putin stated his willingness to discuss a potential compromise with the US President-elect on the issue of Ukraine. “I don’t know when I’m going to see him. He isn’t saying anything about it. I haven’t talked to him in more than four years. I am ready for it, of course. Any time,” Putin remarked, as reported by Al Jazeera.
During his election campaign, Trump vowed to resolve the conflict in Ukraine within 24 hours if elected. However, on January 7, he acknowledged that the settlement process might take longer. He expressed hope that talks with Putin would occur well before six months after his inauguration, TASS reported.