The Kremlin said on Monday that progress could be made on arranging a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin after the new US president takes office on January 20, Reuters reported.
The Russian president is ready to meet with the new US leader without any conditions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, quoted by TASS. Organizing such contacts requires desire and political will on the part of Washington, Peskov commented at a briefing on Trump's statements about his plans to meet with Putin.
Trump said yesterday that a meeting between him and Putin was being prepared, but did not specify any deadline.
The Kremlin spokesman said he welcomed the fact that Trump had demonstrated a willingness to resolve issues through dialogue.
The team of Joe Biden, who is ending his term as US president, is trying to leave as heavy a legacy in bilateral relations as possible before Trump takes office, Peskov added, commenting on the possibility that Washington will announce a new package of sanctions against Moscow.
A US official said yesterday that Biden will announce new sanctions targeting the Russian economy this week to support Kiev's military efforts against Moscow before Trump takes office, Reuters notes.