Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov Says Putin-Trump Meeting Will Be Decided After Materials Are Ready

JAKARTA - The decision on a new plan to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin with United States President Donald Trump will be made when the meeting material is ready, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said.

"After we prepare the contents, I am sure the presidents will decide on their meeting," said the senior diplomat, quoted from TASS, October 30.

"Regarding the time and location, Budapest has indeed been publicly mentioned. However, we have emphasized from the start that its contents are really important," he continued.

"We believe that the framework created by our leaders meeting in Anchorage must be filled with specific details, agreements, and decisions. It is precisely above this foundation that we must move forward," said Ryabkov.

Ryabkov noted that a mutual understanding of how to proceed has been achieved in Alaska.

On August 15, President Putin and President Trump met at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Alaska. The conversation lasted about three hours: four eyes in the limousine of American leaders on their way to the main place of negotiations and in a "three-on-three" format.

On October 16, President Trump, after a telephone conversation with President Putin, said they had agreed to meet in Budapest, Hungary.

On October 20, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held phone calls to discuss potential measures to implement the understanding reached during the phone talks of the two previous leaders.

Later, the meeting was postponed indefinitely. The building announced after talks between the two foreign ministers said President Trump had "not planned" to meet President Putin in person in the near future.

"Minister of Foreign Affairs Rubio and Foreign Minister Lavrov have made productive phone calls. Therefore, additional face-to-face meetings between the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Foreign Affairs are not needed," a White House official said.

"And there is no plan for President Trump to meet with President Putin in the near future," he added.