The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, has said that the United States will not meet Russian President Vladimir Putin soon, arguing that both leaders cannot afford to waste the time.
Kremlin Spokesman on Trump‑Putin Meeting
Dmitry Peskov said the United States will not hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the near future, citing Washington’s announcement that the summit is unlikely soon.
Peskov warned that before a potential Russia‑US summit, both sides must “do a lot of homework”. He insisted that leaders cannot meet just for the sake of meeting, cannot waste time, and ordered Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chief of Staff Mikhail Rublyov to prepare the process, calling it a “difficult process”.
Agenda for Summit Proceedings
Foreign ministers of the United States and Russia are to agree on the agenda for the next summit, but Peskov said there are currently no grounds for such a meeting due to changing circumstances and the negotiation stance.
He noted that Ukraine does not seek any peace process and that their reluctance stems from Europe and the European Union. Peskov recalled that President Donald Trump had expressed that it made sense to organize the summit now, a view shared by Putin.
Trump: I Intend Not to Waste Time
On October 21, President Donald Trump stated that he would not meet Vladimir Putin until a peace agreement in Ukraine is reached, claiming that a deal would be signed and emphasizing that he does not want to waste time.
Trump added that he had previously maintained good contacts with Putin but found the situation “very disappointing” and had expected the war in Ukraine to end before a Middle East peace deal. The White House confirmed that no meeting would take place soon; a planned meeting in Budapest was postponed, and an earlier August Anchorage conversation failed to produce an agreement.
Trump’s Talks with Zelensky and Putin
Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on October 17 and had a telephone conversation with Putin the day before. He expected Putin to discuss the sale of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
Trump denied a pledge to provide Tomahawks, stating that the weapons are brutal and costly and that the U.S. cannot give all of its armaments to Ukraine. He said he was supportive of Zelensky but could not provide insufficient supplies.
