MOSCOW
A meeting between the Russian and American presidents could take place as early as next week, the Kremlin said Wednesday, the first such meeting of the two nations’ leaders in years.
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump could meet before the end of February, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a press briefing in Moscow. But he did not rule out the possibility of a later date, stressing that organizing such high-level talks takes time and extensive preparation by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Peskov also spoke on Tuesday’s Russia-US negotiations in Saudi Arabia, saying that the primary focus was the restoration of bilateral relations.
“The main task now is precisely what is happening at this moment. This topic is primarily linked to reviving relations, followed by their full restoration,” he remarked.
Russian-US relations were cool under President Joe Biden, especially after February 2022, when the Ukraine war began. During his previous presidential term in 2017-2021, Trump was known for his friendly relations with Putin. Trump returned to the White House last month.
Peskov stressed that repairing ties between Moscow and Washington would be a gradual process, requiring sustained diplomatic effort.
“It is impossible to fix everything in a single day or even a week. The path ahead is long, and much work remains to be done. However, a crucial first step was taken yesterday,” he said.
Peskov added that while it is too soon to draw definitive conclusions from the talks, the initial progress is encouraging: “The momentum is very positive, and the overall attitude remains businesslike.”
Talks between Russia and the US in Saudi Arabia were organized to address issues of mending relations, resolving the conflict in Ukraine, and preparing a meeting between the Russian and US presidents.
