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Kremlin ready for new Putin-Trump meeting, but won't impose itself and persuade Washington

Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov noted that "it all depends on the Americans now"

MOSCOW, December 4. /TASS/. The Kremlin is ready to hold a new meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, but it is not going to impose itself and urge the White House, Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.

"The Russian side is ready for a conversation [with the US] and believes the contact at the high level to be very important, but still we will not persuade the American side and impose ourselves," he noted. "It all depends on the Americans now."

According to the Kremlin official, US National Security Advisor John Bolton told him in Argentina of the readiness to continue contacts in his area of responsibility.

Ushakov reiterated that the two countries have disagreements, but they have always been, even in the Soviet era. "Still, it was not an obstacle to serious talks and achieving all the more serious results in the strategic sphere and in the sphere of security," he stressed. "As we understood the Americans, they are ready for these contacts, but it is still hard to say when and where these contacts will be held," the presidential aide added.

He noted that a tension over the two leaders’ meeting created a unique situation when experts and media representatives are "guessing" about whether this meeting will take place.

"It is just necessary to hold this meeting, and that’s that," Ushakov said. "It’s not working out yet."

The issue concerns a full-fledged summit, the Kremlin official said. "Contacts ‘on the move’ are very useful, but a serious conversation is needed, and we were ready for this conversation, including in relation to the [G20] summit," he added.