**Trump and Putin to Meet Soon**
The US and Russian governments are making plans for a meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said on February 22 that preparations are already underway.
This is not the first time Trump has mentioned meeting with Putin. He previously said he would “probably” meet with him before the end of February.
The two leaders may discuss several global topics, including the war in Ukraine. Ryabkov told Russian state media that they could work towards normalizing relations between their countries and finding ways to resolve difficult situations.
**Preparations Underway**
Ryabkov said that preparations for the meeting are still in the early stages. He added that organizing the summit will require a lot of work, including meetings between US and Russian delegates over the next two weeks.
The US and Russia have already held direct talks since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They met in Saudi Arabia on February 18 to discuss steps towards ending the war.
**Another Round of Talks**
Trump announced another round of talks between US and Russian envoys in Riyadh on February 25. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the possibilities of a Trump-Putin meeting with his Russian counterpart during these talks.
Rubio said that a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders would depend on making progress towards a peace agreement. Ukraine and European leaders have objected to being excluded from these talks.
**Previous Conversations**
Trump has already spoken to Putin about brokering a quick ceasefire in Ukraine. He had a phone call with Putin for nearly 90 minutes on February 12, during which they discussed this topic.
Putin announced after the Riyadh talks that he would “gladly” meet with Trump and hoped that Washington and Moscow could work out the war in Ukraine before their meeting.
