Top Russia-US diplomats hold phone call before Trump-Putin Alaska meet

Russia says some sides affirm volition for Putin-Trump conscionable successful Alaska connected Friday, wherever Ukraine warfare acceptable to beryllium discussed.

The apical diplomats from Russia and the United States person held a telephone telephone up of a planned meeting this week betwixt US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a station connected Telegram connected Tuesday, the ministry said Sergei Lavrov said the 2 sides had reaffirmed their volition to clasp palmy talks. The US Department of State did not instantly corroborate the talks.

But speaking soon aft the announcement, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt revealed that Trump would conscionable with Putin successful the metropolis of Anchorage. She said the brace would sermon ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“On Friday morning, Trump volition question crossed the state to Anchorage, Alaska for a bilateral gathering with Russian President Vladimir Putin,” Leavitt told reporters.

She added that Trump “is determined to effort and extremity this warfare and halt the killing”.

On Monday, Trump told reporters helium was “going to see” what Putin “has successful mind” erstwhile it comes to a woody to extremity the fighting.

Trump besides said helium and Putin would sermon “land swapping”, indicating helium whitethorn enactment an statement that sees Russia support power of astatine slightest immoderate of the Ukrainian territory it occupies.

Kyiv has repeatedly said that immoderate woody that would spot it cede occupied onshore – including Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia – to Russia would beryllium a non-starter.

Moscow has maintained that immoderate woody indispensable necessitate Ukraine to relinquish immoderate of the territories Russia has seized since 2014. He has besides called for a intermission to Western assistance for Ukraine and an extremity to Kyiv’s efforts to articulation the NATO subject alliance.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies