Kremlin: Putin and Trump Meeting in China This September Not Ruled Out

No Official Announcement Yet on Trump's Visit to China
Possibility of Meeting in Turkiye Also Mentioned

The Kremlin has stated that it does not rule out the possibility of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in China this September.

According to TASS and RIA Novosti, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed in a briefing that President Putin is scheduled to visit China in September. He said, "If the US President also decides to visit China during the same period, it is theoretically not impossible for the two leaders to hold talks as long as they are in the same city."

However, he added, "Since no contact has been agreed upon, there is currently no substantial preparation for such a meeting."

President Putin plans to visit China at the end of August or early September to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, as well as ceremonies commemorating the victory over Japan and the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. There has not yet been an official announcement from the White House regarding President Trump's plans to visit China.

Peskov also addressed the possibility of the two leaders meeting in T?rkiye, where Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations are ongoing. He said, "There has only been a political expression of will from the Turkish President regarding the hosting of a Russia-US summit, but there is currently no concrete preparation."

He went on to emphasize that a meeting between President Putin and President Trump should be the result of progress in resolving the Ukraine issue, stating, "Work at the expert level must come first. It is not logical for the presidents themselves to carry out this difficult and rough work."

Additionally, he mentioned that there is currently no scheduled call between President Putin and President Erdogan, but if necessary, such a call could be arranged quickly.