Russian President Vladimir Putin has identified the United Arab Emirates as a potential venue for a Russia-US summit, stating this following his meeting with the UAE leader in the Kremlin, according to Russian propagantist media TASS.
“We have many friends who are ready to help us organize an event of this kind. One of the friends is the president of the United Arab Emirates,” Putin said. “I think we will decide, but this would be one of the suitable, quite suitable places.”
The statement comes as Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told journalists that a meeting between Putin and US President Donald Trump is planned for the coming days, likely next week.
Regarding prospects for a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Putin added: “I have already said many times that I have nothing against this in general, it is possible.”
However, the Russian leader maintained distance from any immediate such meeting, stating: “But certain conditions must be created for this. But, unfortunately, we are still far from creating such conditions.”
Trump has separately declared “good chances” for holding a meeting with Putin in the near future. According to media reports, Trump informed European leaders during a conversation on 6 August about his intentions to meet with Putin “as early as next week,” and subsequently organize a trilateral meeting together with Zelenskyy.
The diplomatic maneuvering comes as Trump imposed deadline for Russia, having threatened secondary tariffs on Russian oil purchasers unless Putin agrees to a truce by 8 August.