Vladimir Putin says United Arab Emirates possible site for meeting with Donald Trump

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump (AFP file photo)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated that the United Arab Emirates could serve as the venue for his meeting with Donald Trump.

“We have many friends who are ready to assist in organizing such events. One of them is the president of the United Arab Emirates,” the Russian President was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. According to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, preparations for the meeting are already in progress. While it is “difficult to say” exactly how long they will take, the aim is to hold the meeting sometime next week, Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti reported.

If it takes place, the meeting would mark the first between the leaders of the two nations since 2021, when Putin met then-U.S. President Joe Biden in Geneva, Switzerland. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

On Wednesday, Trump said there was a “good chance” he and Putin could meet “very soon” to discuss a possible resolution to the war in Ukraine, just hours after his special envoy Steve Wikoff held talks with the Russian leader.

Meanwhile, Putin is also expected to visit India soon, according to National Security Adviser Ajit Doval during his visit to Moscow. Although the exact dates are yet to be confirmed, Russian state news agency Sputnik reported that the visit is likely to take place later this year.

“We have got a special, long relationship and we value this relationship. We have had high-level engagement, and these high-level engagements have contributed very substantially. We are very excited and delighted to learn about the visit of President Putin to India. I think the dates are almost finalised now,” Doval said.