The Kremlin has hinted at the possibility of a meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing this September.
What Happened: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Monday that a meeting between Putin and Trump could be on the cards if both leaders are present in Beijing at the same time, reported Reuters.
Putin is expected to visit China to commemorate the 80th anniversary of World War II’s end. However, Peskov mentioned that Moscow is yet to receive confirmation of Trump’s attendance.
“You know that we are preparing for a trip to Beijing, our president is preparing for this trip… But we have not heard that President Trump is also going there, to Beijing,” Peskov said.
“If it so happens that (Trump) is there, then, of course, we cannot rule out that the question of the expediency of holding a meeting will be raised,” added Peskov.
Trump and Putin have had at least six conversations since Trump’s return to the White House in January. Despite Trump’s growing frustration with Putin over the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Kremlin has expressed its support for a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders. This meeting, however, would require careful planning to ensure productive results.
Why It Matters: The possibility of a Putin-Trump meeting comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Russia. Trump recently announced plans to supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles in response to Putin’s resistance to ceasefire negotiations.
Trump also threatened to impose a 100% tariff on Russia if a peace deal isn’t reached within 50 days, a move that has been questioned by economists, considering limited trade dealings between the country.
Additionally, Russia has been pushing for state-backed messaging apps and has warned Meta Platform‘s (NASDAQ:META) WhatsApp to prepare for its exit from the Russian market.
Notably, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed optimism about a potential meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year, following what he described as "constructive" talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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