Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with his partners today ahead of a possible summit with US President Donald Trump, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
The Kremlin said that Putin informed the presidents of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan - Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Kassam-Jomart Tokayev - by phone about the talks held on Wednesday with US special envoy Steve Witkoff. Putin's two colleagues have expressed support for diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
According to reports in Belarusian and Chinese media, the Russian president also spoke by phone with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, as well as Chinese President Xi Jinping, Reuters adds.
Earlier today, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced that he had spoken by phone with Putin. “I had a very good and detailed conversation with my friend President Putin. I thanked him for sharing the latest developments regarding Ukraine“, Modi wrote on the social network “Ex”.
The United States and Russia have not released any information on what proposals for ending the Ukrainian conflict Witkoff made in Moscow. However, the first summit between the leaders of the United States and Russia since 2021 has been agreed and may take place in the coming days. The location of the meeting has not yet been determined.
Earlier today, ANSA reported that Trump had asked Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni if she would like Rome to host a trilateral meeting on the war in Ukraine. Initially, the US president suggested that Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky also participate in the consultations. Meloni agreed to host the meeting, ANSA also reported, but a Russian representative told TASS today that the meeting would not take place in an EU member state, but in Turkey or the United Arab Emirates. In addition, Putin refused to commit to a meeting with Zelensky, ANSA noted.