US President-elect Donald Trump has announced that preparations are underway for a meeting between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin, though no specific timeline has been provided. Speaking on Thursday, Trump shared his intention for high-level talks with Putin but refrained from elaborating on the expected timing.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, quoted by the Russian News Agency TASS, confirmed that Putin is open to dialogue and welcomes Trump's willingness to engage. Peskov noted that the Russian President has consistently expressed a readiness for high-level discussions and emphasized the importance of such interactions. However, Peskov also clarified that no formal requests for a meeting have yet been received from the American side.

During his election campaign, Trump frequently stated his ambition to resolve the conflict in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office. More recently, on January 7, he acknowledged that the process might take longer than initially anticipated. He expressed hope that discussions with Putin on this and other issues could occur sooner than six months into his presidency.

In December, Putin reiterated his openness to talks with Trump, mentioning during his annual end-of-the-year press conference that he was prepared to discuss a compromise regarding Ukraine. He remarked, "I don't know when I’m going to see him. He isn’t saying anything about it. I haven’t talked to him in more than four years. I am ready for it, of course, any time," as quoted by Al Jazeera.

Earlier, Trump suggested that a meeting with Putin could take place within the first six months of his presidency. However, no further details have been made available, and the timing remains uncertain.

Sources:

• Reuters
• Al Jazeera
• TASS