Moscow: The Russian Foreign Ministry has announced that preparations are underway for an upcoming face-to-face meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, speaking to state media on Saturday, February 22, did not disclose the exact date or location of the meeting. However, he confirmed that the discussions would not be limited to the war in Ukraine but would also cover broader international issues.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow—particularly President Putin—has faced diplomatic cutoff from Western nations, including the United States. However, with Trump’s return to office, Washington-Moscow relations appear to be improving.
Ryabkov emphasized that the key question is whether both nations can work toward normalizing relations and finding solutions to critical global crises, with Ukraine being a primary concern.
Although President Trump previously stated that he expects to meet with Putin soon, Ryabkov cautioned that preparations for the meeting are still in the early stages and require "the highest level of readiness" before it can take place.
Earlier, on Tuesday, February 18, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks in Riyadh, agreeing to establish negotiation teams to explore ways to end the Ukraine conflict.
Ryabkov also revealed that U.S. and Russian representatives are set to meet again within the next two weeks to create the conditions necessary for a high-level meeting between the two presidents.
Washington’s engagement with Moscow over ending the war in Ukraine comes amid growing concerns from Kyiv about being excluded from these discussions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the U.S. and Russia for not inviting Ukraine to the talks in Saudi Arabia. In response, Trump initially called Zelensky a "dictator" but later stated that both Putin and Zelensky should come to an agreement to end the war.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said, “President Putin and President Zelensky must come to an agreement because, as you know, we want to stop the deaths of millions of people.”
These developments come as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House next week. Trump has accused both leaders of not doing enough to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
Macron has stated that he will urge Trump to remain firm in his negotiations with Putin. Meanwhile, Starmer reaffirmed the UK’s strong support for Ukraine in a recent call with Zelensky. A statement from the Prime Minister’s office declared that the UK remains committed to achieving a "just peace" and ending Russia’s "illegal war" in Ukraine.
