No agreements on organizing a phone call have been reached yet, says Russian presidential aide
Moscow said on Thursday that dialogue with Washington is underway to organize a new phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.
“This is what we are talking about, this telephone conversation. No agreement has been reached yet,” Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov told journalists in Moscow.
Since Trump's inauguration late January for a second term in the White House, the leaders have held two phone conversations, with the first one on Feb. 12.
The second phone conversation between the two presidents was held on March 18, the same day that the US brokered two agreements between Russia and Ukraine – one to “ensure safe navigation” in the Black Sea and another for a 30-day halt on attacks targeting energy infrastructure – following talks in Saudi Arabia.
Despite the agreements, both sides have frequently accused each other of violating the pause.
Commenting on Thursday's talks between Putin and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Moscow, Ushakov said that the two leaders will discuss Russia-US contacts in Saudi Arabia.
He further said the Russian and Qatari sides will also discuss various issues concerning bilateral cooperation.
The presidential envoy also noted that Qatar is playing a humanitarian and mediating role with regard to the Russia-Ukraine war.
He also said the Gulf country could theoretically become a venue for negotiations between Russian and US delegations, but that this issue has not yet been discussed.
- Putin-Witkoff talks
In a later interview with Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin posted on Telegram, Ushakov also announced that the venue and date for an in-person meeting between Putin and Trump have not yet been agreed upon.
"Although, many people talk about Riyadh, in particular (our) American colleagues," he said.
Defining the talks held on April 11 as a "good conversation," Ushakov said that many political and economic topics were discussed, while the situation around Ukraine was discussed the most.
Moscow's signals on the prospects for a settlement in Ukraine were conveyed to the US through Steve Witkoff -- Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and the Middle East -- Ushakov said, adding that he thinks these signals are already being discussed in Washington.
Uskahov also said the topic of resuming direct air traffic between Russia and the US was raised during the talks, but that Washington believes it is necessary to achieve some progress with regard to Ukraine before engaging on this issue.
