President Trump said Wednesday he expects to meet in person with Russian President Vladimir Putin multiple times, suggesting they are likely to meet first in Saudi Arabia.
“We ultimately expect to meet,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “In fact, we expect that he’ll come here, and I’ll go there, and we’re going to meet also, probably in Saudi Arabia. The first time we’ll meet in Saudi Arabia.”
The timing of when the meetings would happen were not yet clear but Trump said it would be “not in the too distant future.”
Trump’s comments came hours after he spoke with Putin on the phone and as his administration pressed forward with plans to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters earlier Wednesday she was not aware of any preconditions that would have to be met for a meeting to take place.
The meeting would mark a major shift in U.S. relations with Russia.
Former President Biden held an in-person summit with Putin in June 2021, nearly four years ago, but had not spoken with Putin directly since February 2022, just before Russian forces invaded Ukraine. Biden in a March 2022 speech declared Putin “cannot remain in power,” remarks the White House later tried to walk back.
Trump spoke with Putin earlier Wednesday. It was the first publicly disclosed call between the two leaders since Trump took office.
The two leaders discussed several topics, Trump said, but focused mainly on efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. Trump spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following his conversation with Putin.
Vice President Vance is expected to meet with Zelensky this week during a trip to Europe for the Munich Security Conference. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was also dispatched to Ukraine to meet with Zelensky as the U.S. pursues a deal for more access to Ukraine’s critical minerals.
The president has faced scrutiny dating back to his 2016 campaign for his relationship with Russia. The intelligence community determined Russia interfered in the 2016 election, a finding Trump later cast doubt on while standing side-by-side with Putin.
Trump has also repeatedly said it would benefit the United States if it had a stronger relationship with Russia.
Leavitt was asked Wednesday whether the administration views Russia as an adversary or a partner.
“This nation views Putin and Russia as a great competitor in the region, at times an adversary,” Leavitt said. “But as the president has said as well, he enjoys having good diplomatic relations with leaders around the world.”
