The White House is reportedly planning for a possible meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, though the arrangements remain in the early phases.
A senior administration official told the Wall Street Journal that Jon Huntsman, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, has been working to set up the potential summit between the two leaders while in Washington.
Details, including the date and location, have yet to be finalized.
“This has been an ongoing project of Ambassador Huntsman, stretching back months, of getting a formal meeting between Putin and Trump,” a senior administration official told the Wall Street Journal.
Trump and Putin have met in person twice before. The two met on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, in July 2017 and again at a summit in Vietnam in November.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement in April that Trump and Putin had discussed a potential meeting during a March 20 call.
“As the president himself confirmed on March 20, hours after his last call with President Putin, the two had discussed a bilateral meeting in the ‘not-too-distant future’ at a number of potential venues, including the White House. We have nothing further to add at this time,” she said.
Topics likely to be discussed at a meeting between Trump and Putin include Russian involvement in Syria and Ukraine.
But the potential summit could come as special counsel Robert Mueller continues with his investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
The president has dismissed the probe as a “witch hunt” and told reporters following his November meeting with Putin that the Russian president “said he didn’t meddle.”
So far in the Russia probe, Mueller has charged 19 people — including 13 Russian nationals — and three Russian companies.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
