Moscow (Eurotoday) – On Monday, the Kremlin responded to discussions about a potential meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing the importance of such a meeting—even though President Putin does not currently have plans to visit the Middle East in mid-May.
Putin has not met with a sitting U.S. president since his summit with Joe Biden in Geneva in June 2021. However, he and Trump have held several phone conversations in recent months as Trump has expressed interest in brokering a resolution to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Trump, who has vowed to swiftly negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine if re-elected, stated over the weekend that he and his advisors have had “very good discussions” recently regarding Russia and Ukraine.
Why does the Kremlin view talks as necessary?
According to Reuters, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that although President Putin has no plans to travel to Saudi Arabia, talk of a potential meeting with Trump during the latter’s trip to the region is “clearly on everyone’s lips.”
“We think it is certainly necessary,” Peskov emphasized, noting the importance of preparing such a meeting thoroughly and involving expert-level discussions between Moscow and Washington. However, he added, “So far there are no specifics on this.”
What is the goal of Trump’s Middle East tour?
As reported by Axios, President Trump is expected to attend a summit with Gulf state leaders during his mid-May visit to Saudi Arabia. From May 13 to 16, Trump is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of a tour focused on defense, investment, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly plans to host the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations—comprising the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar—in Riyadh for the summit on May 14. An Arab official told Axios that no invitations have yet been extended to other Arab leaders, though that could change.
During the trip, Trump is expected to discuss arms deals and economic partnerships. According to the Pentagon, the U.S. State Department has approved a potential $3.5 billion sale of AIM-120C-8 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles to Saudi Arabia.
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