Trump non-committal on potential Putin meeting during Saudi Arabia visit

During a press briefing, US President Donald Trump indicated he has not yet decided whether he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his forthcoming mid-May visit to Saudi Arabia.

When journalists enquired about a possible meeting with the Russian leader, Trump responded, “I don’t know, we have to think about it. I have not thought about it,” adding that his departure for Saudi Arabia would occur “pretty soon.”

According to State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, dialogue between the US and Russian leaders is considered necessary for addressing the Ukrainian conflict. The two presidents previously spoke by telephone on 18 March, discussing several topics including a potential 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, methods to prevent escalation, and various international issues.

During this conversation, Putin reportedly agreed with Trump’s proposal that conflict parties in Ukraine should mutually avoid targeting energy infrastructure.

Trump has previously mentioned the possibility of meeting with Putin following his Middle East trip, which is scheduled to include visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from 13 to 16 May.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​