Incoming US national security adviser Michael Waltz confirmed that preparations are underway for a phone call between President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to Mr. Waltz, the phone call between the two leaders is expected to take place “in the next few days, weeks”.
“Preparations are underway right now,” Waltz said in an interview with ABC News on January 12, but did not give an exact time frame for the phone call between the two leaders.
It is also unclear whether the upcoming meeting will involve just the two leaders or other officials. “We haven’t set a detailed framework yet, but I expect a call in the next few days or weeks,” Waltz said. “That would be a start and we’ll go from there.”
Previously, Mr. Trump announced that he was preparing a meeting with Mr. Putin, which is likely to take place after he officially takes office on January 20. The Kremlin also confirmed that both leaders have expressed their intention to talk, but there are still no details about the time and location of the meeting.
The first dialogue opens up expectations for cooperation.
Mr Waltz stressed that the call between Mr Trump and Mr Putin could lay the groundwork for future direct talks. “We are working on the substance of the dialogue. This would be a significant step forward,” he said.
Both leaders expressed a desire to discuss important issues, especially the conflict in Ukraine. During the election campaign, Mr. Trump vowed to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict within 24 hours, although he did not reveal details of how he would do so.
The world hopes for peaceful progress
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed the idea of a meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Putin, saying it could pave the way for talks to end the conflict in Ukraine.
Speaking on ARD, Mr. Scholz emphasized: “If the US President and the Russian President want to meet, that is not bad news. This can help end the violence.”
However, there is still skepticism about the possibility of significant progress from these meetings. The Kremlin also stressed that the dialogue can only be successful if both sides have the desire and political will to resolve the issue.
"President Putin has repeatedly stated his openness to international leaders, including the US President and especially Donald Trump. No conditions are required for this. What is needed is a common desire and political will to conduct dialogue to resolve current issues through dialogue," RT quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying earlier this week.
The upcoming meeting between the two US-Russian leaders, if it takes place, will not only be an important step in international relations but also bring hope for reducing tensions and finding peace globally.
