Russia says Trump-Putin meeting at G20 will happen

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A meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will take place on Saturday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina, the Kremlin said Thursday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the White House had confirmed the meeting which would take place Saturday, around noon. Late Wednesday, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov also told the Russian state news agency TASS that Trump and Putin would hold discussions in private at the summit in Buenos Aires before being joined by officials.

The White House, on the other hand, has not publicly confirmed the meeting.

Trump had previously suggested that he might cancel his meeting with Putin after Russian ships opened fire on and seized three Ukrainian vessels near Crimea, an act which has been cast as "Russian aggression" by Ukraine and its western allies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and the U.S. President Donald Trump attend a meeting in Helsinki, July 16, 2018. /VCG Photo

Details of the talk remain unclear

The exact time of the meeting has not been agreed upon, Ushakov said, though a source told Russian state media Sputnik that the meeting is scheduled for 14:30 GMT on December 1 and would last more than two hours.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the time frame for the meeting was tight, adding there would be a brief conversation between the presidents and then negotiations, which can last up to an hour.

If it goes ahead as scheduled, it will be the first sit-down meeting between the two leaders since their last one in Helsinki, this past July, with only their translators present.

Trump's last encounter with Putin drew domestic condemnation after he defended Russia over claims of interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton told reporters Tuesday that if the two leaders did meet, "I think it will be a continuation of their discussion in Helsinki."

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and the U.S. President Donald Trump hold talks as they meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, July 7, 2017. /VCG Photo

Agenda for the meeting remain unclear

Three groups of issues are expected to be discussed, Kremlin aide Ushakov said, including strategic stability, arms control and regional conflicts.

"First, there is certainly, the issues of ensuring strategic stability and disarmament dossier," Ushakov said, stressing that given the U.S. plans to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and have withdrawn from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, it is of vital importance not to see uncontrolled and senseless arms race takes place.

Issues related to the regional situation regarding the Syrian conflict, the Iranian nuclear program and issues on the Korean Peninsula are also expected to be discussed.

The third issue on the agenda, according to Ushakov, would be the U.S.- Russia relations. Ushakov argued that both sides want "to lead these relations out of the deadlock and start looking for ways to normalize them."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also told reporters on Thursday, "We don't have to agree on all issues, which is probably impossible, but we need to talk." He said a conversation between the U.S. and Russia is in the interests of the whole world.

Relations between the two countries experienced a downturn after the U.S. sanctioned Russian individuals and entities over alleged interference in the 2016 election.

It is unclear whether the situation in Ukraine would be discussed in Saturday's meeting.

Trump waited more than 24 hours after the maritime clash between Ukraine and Russia took place on Sunday before he commented on the incident. He said he was not happy about it at all, but refrained from blaming Russia, saying "we do not like what's happening either way."