More preparatory work is needed before the two leaders can meet in person, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said
© Global Look Press / Konstantin Kokoshkin
Russian President Vladimir Putin did not propose a personal meeting with US President Donald Trump when he met his envoy, Steve Witkoff, in St. Petersburg last Friday, according to the Kremlin.
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that such a high-profile event “needs good preparation” and was not seriously discussed by Putin and the US envoy. Peskov previously said a leaders’ summit could happen “at the appropriate time,” and that the Russian president supports an eventual in-person meeting with Trump.
“The issues that require discussions are very complicated, so it is inadvisable to expect some immediate results,” he added.
Last week’s negotiations with Putin were the third for Witkoff since he was appointed a special presidential representative advising Trump on conflict mediation. Before being tapped to work on the Ukraine conflict, he was involved in defusing tensions in the Middle East.
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Putin and Trump have spoken on the phone multiple times since the American leader’s inauguration in January. The new US administration wants Russia and Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire and a compromise peace deal.
Putin has said that Moscow would appreciate a diplomatic path to achieving its objectives, which it has repeatedly sought since before hostilities escalated in February 2022. However, Russia has ruled out agreeing to a frozen conflict, which it says would allow Kiev to rebuild its army and resume hostilities later.
Moscow expressed cautious optimism about relations with the US after the Trump administration acknowledged that NATO expansion in Europe was a significant factor in triggering the Ukraine conflict. However, it warned that some influential players, such as the UK and the EU, appear determined to prolong hostilities.