Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, Photo: David Silpa/UPI
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the Kremlin is open to contacts with Donald Trump, the newly elected US president, without preconditions.According to Peskov, Putin has repeatedly expressed his readiness for dialogue with international leaders, including Trump, provided there is a mutual desire to solve problems, AFP reported.
“No conditions are needed, only a mutual desire and political will to solve problems through dialogue,” Peskov said, adding that the Kremlin welcomed Trump’s statements about his readiness for talks.
In particular, Peskov noted that although there are no specific plans for a meeting between Putin and Trump, Russia is ready to work on this issue. At the same time, he expressed hope that after Trump takes office in the Oval Office, new opportunities for contacts between the two leaders will arise.
The Kremlin’s reaction to Trump’s statement follows his recent speech in which he announced plans to organise a meeting with Putin to “end” the war in Ukraine. In his statement, Trump noted that Putin has repeatedly expressed a desire to meet, and this would be a step towards ending the conflict.
“President Putin wants us to meet, and we’re setting up that meeting now,” Trump said during a meeting with Republican governors in Palm Beach, Florida. He also emphasised that ending the war in Ukraine is an important step for stability in the world.
