US President-elect Donald Trump has announced that plans are underway for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, though no timeline has been confirmed for the talks, Reuters reported on Thursday.
Trump’s statement marks a significant development in US-Russia relations, with both leaders signaling readiness for dialogue. According to Russian News Agency TASS, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed Putin’s openness to high-level talks. “If [Trump’s] political will to resume high-level contacts after he takes office persists, President Putin will only welcome this,” Peskov said.
Peskov also emphasized Putin’s long-standing readiness for dialogue and the importance of such interactions. While Trump has previously suggested that talks with Putin could take place within the first six months of his presidency, Peskov noted that no formal requests for contact have been received from the American side yet.
In December, during his annual press conference, Putin expressed a willingness to engage with Trump to explore compromises on issues such as Ukraine. Speaking on the possibility of a meeting, Putin was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying, “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.”
Throughout his campaign, Trump repeatedly promised swift action on the Ukraine conflict, claiming it could be resolved within 24 hours if he were elected. However, on January 7, he admitted that the settlement process might take longer than expected. Trump remains optimistic that his talks with Putin will happen much sooner than six months after his inauguration, according to TASS.
(Inputs from ANI)
