White House teases Trump visit to Russia
US President Donald Trump could visit Russia in the future, the White House has said. Trump is set to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, this week.
The two leaders are scheduled to hold talks in Alaska on Friday, with discussions expected to focus on resolving the Ukraine conflict and strengthening bilateral ties.
Asked by reporters on Tuesday if Trump planned to visit Russia, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “It’s possible that there are plans to travel to Russia in the future.”
Moscow previously stated that it expects the two leaders’ next meeting following Alaska to take place in Russia. Trump has officially been sent an invitation, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said last week.
The US leader said on Monday he plans to organize the next top-level talks on the Ukraine conflict, aiming to bring Putin and Vladimir Zelensky to the same table. He also confirmed that Zelensky has not been invited to his meeting with Putin on Friday.
Moscow has long accused Zelensky of being in denial and unnecessarily prolonging a conflict he cannot win.
The Russian president has said he has “nothing in principle” against meeting with Zelensky, but maintains that “certain conditions must be created” for it to take place.
Putin has also cast doubt on Zelensky’s legal capacity to sign binding agreements, as the Ukrainian leader’s presidential term expired last year and he has refused to hold a new election, citing martial law. This has prompted Moscow to declare him “illegitimate.”
