Preparations for Putin-Trump meeting could take weeks, months: Kremlin
3 Min Read
While Saudi Arabia has been mentioned as a potential location for the meeting, Peskov says no decisions have been made yet about the venue at either the working or highest levels.
-
President Donald Trump, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands at the beginning of a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, July 16, 2018 (AP)
Preparations for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump could take several weeks or even months, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov pointed out on Thursday.
US President Donald Trump revealed on Wednesday that he had a “lengthy and highly productive” phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, covering a broad range of topics, including the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Middle East, energy, and artificial intelligence.
In an interview for Channel One, Peskov explained that organizing such a high-level meeting would naturally require significant time, potentially stretching from weeks to months.
"Of course, it will take time to prepare for such a meeting. It can be weeks, months, or several months — this is also possible," he said.
The Russian diplomat added that discussions regarding the format of the meeting will occur through ongoing communication between the leaders' aides.
While Saudi Arabia has been mentioned as a potential location for the meeting due to its constructive cooperation with Russia, Peskov noted that no decisions have been made yet about the venue at either the working or highest levels.
"Saudi Arabia is a country with which we have very constructive cooperation in various fields. From this point of view, Riyadh is suitable for the two countries, and indeed Riyadh figured [in the call]. But so far, no decisions have been made or recorded either at the working level or at the highest level," he said.
"We'll meet in Saudi Arabia," Trump told reporters at the White House, hours after he announced the telephone conversation with the Russian leader.
The Kremlin spokesperson also emphasized the need to expand working contacts between Russia and the US, which is expected to take place over the coming days and weeks.
He recalled that even during his election campaign and before his inauguration, Trump had expressed intentions to call Putin.
In a related development, Peskov confirmed that Putin and Trump have mutually extended invitations for official visits to each other's countries.
Regarding Ukraine's role in peace talks, Peskov said that Ukraine would be involved in the discussions "one way or another."
"Of course, there will be both a bilateral Russian-American track of this dialog and a track that will, of course, be related to Ukraine's involvement," he added.
Putin will ultimately decide who will be part of the team negotiating the resolution of the Ukraine conflict, the Russian diplomat mentioned, adding that the legal status of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not a topic during the recent telephone conversation between Putin and Trump.
Read more: US dollar falls amid talks between Trump and Putin to end war
