Kremlin: Meeting between Putin and Trump Possible if They Are in the Same Country, China a Possible Venue
The Kremlin announced on Monday, July 28, that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and American President Donald Trump is "not ruled out," indicating that it depends on the presence of the two leaders in the same country at the same time.
The official spokesperson for the Russian presidency, Dmitry Peskov, made the statement during his conversation with journalists on Sunday, saying: "It depends on whether the two leaders are in the same country at the same time," according to the Russian news agency TASS.
Peskov also mentioned that this meeting could take place in China in September, during Putin's planned visit to participate in the 80th anniversary celebrations of the end of World War II. He added: "If the US president decides to visit China in these days, then theoretically, a meeting of this kind cannot be ruled out."
This comes amid escalating tensions between the two countries after Trump's recent criticisms of Putin, accusing him of "talking a lot of nonsense," according to Reuters. He said during a White House meeting: "I am not satisfied with Putin. I can say that now," referring to the human losses in Ukraine.
Peskov had previously responded to these statements, saying that Moscow deals "calmly" with criticisms, confirming Washington's desire for a quick resolution to the Ukrainian crisis, but he pointed out that the complexities make an immediate solution impossible.
Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump has been trying to convince Putin to stop the war in Ukraine, without tangible progress. Negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv have also faced obstacles, as two rounds of talks in Turkey (May 16 and June 2) failed to achieve a breakthrough, and no date has been announced for a third round.
It is worth noting that Trump had agreed to send defensive weapons to Ukraine and was considering imposing additional sanctions on Russia, further escalating the dispute between the two countries.
