Moscow: Moscow and Washington have reached a deal to hold a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump 'in the coming days,' said a Putin aide on Thursday. 'At the suggestion of the American side, a deal was agreed in principle to hold a bilateral meeting at the highest level in the coming days,' Yuri Ushakov told reporters in Moscow.

According to Anadolu Agency, authorities from both countries have begun working towards the meeting. Ushakov added that the two sides also agreed, in principle, on the venue of the talks but that details would be given later. Ushakov mentioned that "next week" has been considered a target date for the summit, but also noted the uncertainty regarding the time needed for preparations. "But the option of holding the meeting during the next week was considered, and we are quite positive about this option," he stated.

Ushakov's remarks followed Trump saying Wednesday that there is a "good chance" he will meet with his Russian counterpart "soon." On the same day, US special envoy Steve Witkoff spoke with Putin in Moscow, just two days before reaching Trump's 10-day deadline for Russia to achieve a ceasefire deal with Ukraine or face new sanctions.

Commenting on the recent meeting, Ushakov said Witkoff mentioned the possibility of a trilateral meeting involving Putin, Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but added the matter was not specifically discussed and that Moscow left the topic "without comment." Ushakov emphasized the importance of focusing on preparing a bilateral meeting with Trump to ensure its success and productivity.

The summit between Putin and Trump would be the first face-to-face meeting between the serving Russian and US presidents since a June 2021 meeting in Geneva between Putin and then-US President Joe Biden.