We need to prepare for it, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said, following US envoy Steve Witkoffs talks with the Russian president on Friday

A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump "will take place," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has confirmed, while stressing it would be "at the appropriate time."

Peskov made the remarks to reporter Pavel Zarubin on Sunday. His statement follows Friday's meeting between Putin and Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg. The Kremlin said the talks covered "aspects of the settlement of the Ukraine conflict."

"The presidents expressed their political will that [the meeting] should take place, including publicly. But it will take place at the appropriate time, we need to prepare for it," he added, without specifying a timeline.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Witkoff's trip this week was part of Trump's broader effort to negotiate a ceasefire. "This is another step in the negotiating process," she explained. Witkoff's visit came soon after Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev met with senior Trump officials in Washington.

In March, Putin and Trump held a phone call that reportedly lasted for over two hours. In that conversation, Trump proposed a 30-day mutual ceasefire, including a halt to strikes on energy infrastructure. Putin supported the idea and gave the corresponding orders to the Russian military.

During the call, the two reaffirmed their commitment to achieving a "lasting peace" rather than a temporary solution to the Ukraine conflict. Moscow stressed the need to "eliminate the root causes of the crisis," as well as meet "Russia's legitimate interests in the area of security" and "the complete cessation of foreign military aid and the provision of intelligence information to Kiev," as fundamental elements necessary for an agreement, the Kremlin press service said.

(RT.com)