Trump and Putin may meet in Saudi Arabia or UAE - Reuters

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are being considered by Russia as possible venues for a summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, citing two Russian sources informed of the talks, Reuters reports, UNN writes.

Details

Russian officials have repeatedly denied any direct contacts with the United States regarding the preparation of a phone call between Trump and Putin that would precede a possible meeting later this year.

However, high-ranking Russian officials have visited both Saudi Arabia and the UAE in recent weeks, according to Russian sources who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.

One source said that there is still some opposition to the idea in Russia, as some diplomats and intelligence officials point to the close military and security ties that both the Kingdom and the UAE have with the United States.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE did not respond to requests for comment. the Kremlin declined to comment. But both trump and Putin have established friendly relations with the rulers of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the newspaper said.

Trump said on Sunday that his administration "has scheduled meetings and talks with various parties, including Ukraine and Russia." When asked about these remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that contacts were "obviously planned.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was the first foreign head of state to call Trump after taking office.

Both Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan remained neutral throughout the war in Ukraine, refraining from joining the West in criticizing and sanctioning Russia, the publication notes.

Both leaders also reportedly maintained regular contact with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Neither country is a member of the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for Rutin, preventing him from visiting a number of countries, including Brazil and South Africa.

"At the current stage, Russian sources have ruled out Turkey, a NATO member that hosted the failed peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in March 2022, as a possible venue," the newspaper writes.

Russian analyst Fyodor Lukyanov, an influential research director at the Valdai Discussion Club, whose members regularly meet with Putin, said Trump and Putin have little choice.

"Almost the entire West is involved on the side of Ukraine. That's why all the traditional venues where things like Helsinki, Geneva and Vienna used to take place are not suitable," he was quoted as saying by the Russian media.

Lukyanov noted that although Saudi Arabia and the UAE play a very important role, both countries are very close allies of the United States, which raises some questions for the Russian side.

"However, as a place for negotiations, it is probably quite possible," he added.