WASHINGTON, February 17. /TASS/. The meeting of the US and Russian leaders in Saudi Arabia may take place in the near future, but it should have been organized before the crisis in Ukraine or immediately after its beginning, President Donald Trump told the White House press pool.
"No time [has been] set, but it could be very soon," the US president said in response to a question about when he planned to hold a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia.
"This should have been done four years ago, three years ago before it started, but it should have been done immediately after it started, as opposed to now three years later," Trump pointed out.
Bloomberg reported earlier, citing sources, that a meeting between senior US and Russian officials could take place next week in Saudi Arabia. It is said to be aimed at preparing possible talks between the leaders of the two countries. According to the news agency, Trump's national security advisor Mike Waltz and special envoy Steve Whitkoff will play the leading role in the American delegation.
On February 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump held a telephone conversation. They discussed the issue of cessation of hostilities in Ukraine, bilateral relations and a number of other issues. They also agreed to continue contacts and organize a face-to-face meeting. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the phone conversation between the two leaders was "constructive, working, friendly.".