Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on 5/9 that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and former US President Donald Trump could be arranged quickly if both presidents deem it necessary, "Just like the Alaska meeting was arranged quickly," he added, referencing the previous summit.

Peskov added that expert-level contact between Russia and the US has continued regularly since the Alaska summit. However, he did not specify when or where a future meeting between the two leaders might take place.

President Putin (left) and President Trump shake hands at a press conference in Alaska on 15/8. Photo: AFP

President Putin (left) and President Trump shake hands at a press conference in Alaska on 15/8. Photo: AFP

Trump previously stated, after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on 4/9, that he planned to speak with the Russian leader soon. "I will speak with him. We are having very good dialogue," Trump said, referring to President Putin.

The White House has not commented on the Kremlin's statement.

Trump is intensifying efforts to mediate an end to the war in Ukraine. He held a summit with Putin in Alaska on 15/8, followed by meetings with European and Ukrainian leaders at the White House.

After the Alaska meeting, Trump urged Putin to negotiate with Zelensky to quickly reach an agreement to end the conflict. While both leaders initially expressed openness to this, subsequent developments suggest that the prospects for peace talks are fragile.

Ngoc Anh (Reuters, AFP)