Moscow views Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as potential venues for an anticipated meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, Reuters reported on Feb. 3, citing two Russian sources.
The report follows Trump's remarks that discussions involving Ukraine and Russia are progressing, though he provided few details. Since his election campaign, the U.S. president has pledged to broker a swift end to the war.
Senior Russian officials have allegedly visited both Saudi Arabia and the UAE in recent weeks, according to Reuters. Some Russian diplomats and intelligence officials reportedly oppose the idea, citing the close military and security ties that both countries maintain with the United States.
Russian officials have denied any direct contact with the U.S. regarding preparations for a phone call between Putin and Trump, which is expected to occur before an in-person meeting later this year.
Trump has previously said he believes Putin is "destroying Russia" by refusing to reach a peace deal with Ukraine, adding that Moscow would be better off ending the war.
Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz, told ABC News on Jan. 12 that Trump and Putin were expected to hold a telephone call "in the coming days and weeks."
On Jan. 24, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin was willing to engage in talks with Trump.
Moscow has previously rejected key aspects of a peace proposal reportedly floated by Trump's team, which included freezing the front lines, delaying Ukraine's NATO membership by 20 years, and deploying European peacekeepers.
While Trump has not disclosed specific details about his plan to end the war, his team has indicated that the administration aims to preserve Ukraine's independence. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio nevertheless suggested that Kyiv and Moscow need to make concessions to reach a peace agreement.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
(Updated: )
