No "momentum" for Trump-Putin meeting yet, Kremlin says

There are currently no prerequisites for arranging a meeting between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US President-elect Donald Trump.

As reported by Russian state agency TASS, Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, stated that "there has been no real momentum so far" in response to a question on whether a meeting could take place before Trump's inauguration or if there are no specifics or conditions yet for in-person talks.

Donald Trump claimed on Sunday, 22 December, that Vladimir Putin had expressed a desire to meet with him as soon as possible to discuss the war in Ukraine.

Last week, during his annual press conference for media representatives, Putin stated he was "ready" for potential talks with Trump.

It is worth noting that during his election campaign, Trump frequently boasted about his good relationship with Putin. He also repeatedly promised to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours if elected.

In November, Russian media outlet Verstka reported that Putin informally congratulated Trump on his victory in the presidential election, allegedly "through mutual acquaintances".

There were also reports of a phone call between Trump and Putin after the US election, though the Kremlin denied these claims.