Yesterday, U.S. President Donald Trump, in affirming that he found no reason for “disappointment” in the Russian negotiating team Istanbul 2.0, also added his view that there would not be substantial progress in negotiations until a direct meeting occurs between Russian President Vladimir Putin and himself.
Later in the day, one of Trump’s deputy assistants, Sebastian Gorka, said that a meeting between Trump and Putin is “imminent.” He was speaking at a security summit arranged by Politico, where he said: “Deals are all about timing. When the time is right, that’s when the president is in the room with Putin”—and the right moment is “imminent.” He did not elaborate, and did not provide any further details about a possible meeting between Putin and Trump.
Today, Trump told reporters in the U.A.E., when asked when he could meet with Putin, that “it’s time for us to just do it. We’re going to get it done.” We’ll meet “as soon as we can set it up.” The world will be “much, much safer” in two to three weeks.” Later, Trump added: “We have to meet. He and I will meet.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov addressed the matter today, saying that a meeting between Trump and Putin is “certainly necessary,” but stressed that such a high-level summit “must be prepared and must be productive.” He explained that such meetings always include “long and intense preparations, including consultations by expert groups from both sides.” Trump and Putin should meet primarily for the furthering of bilateral Russia-U.S. relations, both on international affairs and regional problems, and the Ukraine crisis would obviously be a key part of that.
