Russian President Vladimir Putin and former U.S. President Donald Trump could meet in February or March, a senior Russian lawmaker said Thursday.
Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the State Duma’s International Affairs Committee, said preparations for the meeting were at an “advanced stage.”
“Whether it’s February or March, let’s not speculate — let the leaders competently and comprehensively prepare for it,” Slutsky said, adding that more details would be released soon.
The Kremlin confirmed Wednesday that Russian officials had recently increased contacts with members of Trump’s administration. Trump said Sunday that White House officials were in discussions with Russia about ending the war in Ukraine but did not confirm whether he had spoken directly with Putin.
Putin said last month that he was open to meeting with Trump to discuss Ukraine and other issues of mutual interest.
Slutsky suggested the talks could cover key global issues, including Ukraine, the Middle East, and international relations. His comments followed a closed-door briefing by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the State Duma, according to Kremlin-aligned Telegram channels.
themoscowtimes.com
