Russia's Ryabkov says potential Putin-Trump summit is on the agenda

The possibility of another meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump is on the agenda, a senior Russian diplomat has said.

"I wouldn't rule anything out," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview for the state-owned International Affairs magazine published on Saturday.

"The search for a way forward continues," he added.

Ryabkov said contacts between Russia and the United States had not been suspended, and communication channels continued to function.

"We are working on an ongoing basis. We have well-established formats and channels. Not all of these channels are visible or audible, not all of them need to be discussed publicly, but the fact remains that everything is in working order. "

Ryabkov said progress in establishing dialogue between Russia and the United States had been "impressive."

Trump and Putin last met in Alaska in August, but failed to reach a deal on the Ukraine crisis. A follow-up meeting planned in Budapest was suspended indefinitely as Trump told reporters in late October that "it didn't feel like we were going to get to the place we have to get."