Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will meet “at an appropriate time”, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Peskov made the statement to reporter Pavel Zarubin on Sunday, following a meeting between Putin and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg on Friday. According to the Kremlin, the talks focused on “aspects of resolving the Ukraine conflict”. Peskov added that the presidents have expressed their political will for the meeting, both publicly and privately, but it will take place at an appropriate time and preparations are underway without providing a specific timeline. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, explained that Witkoff’s visit this week is part of Trump’s broader efforts to negotiate a ceasefire. “This is another step in the negotiation process” she said. Witkoff’s visit came shortly after a meeting between the Russian presidential adviser, Kirill Dmitriev and high-ranking Trump officials in Washington. Prior to this, Putin and Trump had a telephone conversation in March, which reportedly lasted for over two hours. During the call, Trump proposed a 30-day ceasefire that would also stop attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Putin supported the idea and gave the Russian military the necessary orders. During the conversation, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a “durable peace” and not a temporary solution to the Ukraine conflict. Moscow emphasized the need to “address the root causes of the crisis” as well as “Russia’s legitimate interests in the area of security” and “the complete cessation of foreign military aid and the provision of intelligence information to Kiev” as fundamental elements for reaching an agreement, according to the Kremlin press service.
Kremlin Confirms Possible Putin-Trump Meeting After Recent Discussions
