Reuters: A meeting between Putin and Trump may take place in the UAE or Saudi Arabia.

Trump has repeatedly stated his desire to bring an end to the situation in Ukraine and is willing to discuss this over the phone with Putin or meet him in person to achieve this goal. The Kremlin has also indicated its readiness to engage with Trump. However, in the two weeks since Trump’s inauguration, there have been no official reports of such contacts.

On the evening of February 2, Trump told reporters that discussions are ongoing between the U.S. and both Ukraine and Russia, and according to the president, they are going "quite well." He did not disclose who is participating in these discussions or what exactly is being discussed. Trump also mentioned that "meetings and negotiations with various parties, including Ukraine and Russia," are already scheduled.

As reported by Reuters, Russian officials have recently visited Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Agency sources note that discussions within the Russian leadership continue regarding the suitability of these countries as venues for negotiations, given their close cooperation with the U.S. in matters of security. Reuters also states that the leaders of both Arab states maintain warm relations with both Trump and Putin.

Both countries hold a neutral stance regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine. They have not imposed sanctions on Russia. The UAE has acted as a mediator in prisoner exchanges and facilitated the departure of Ukrainian children from Russia. Saudi Arabia participated in arranging a major prisoner exchange between Russia and Western countries last year.

Neither the Kremlin nor Washington has commented on the Reuters report so far.

In 2018, Putin and Trump, who was then also the U.S. president (during his first term), met in Helsinki. Russian authorities have previously stated that countries like Finland and Switzerland are less acceptable for Moscow as locations for organizing negotiations—Finland has joined NATO, and Switzerland has imposed sanctions on Russia following the EU. Moreover, Putin is under an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court and could theoretically be arrested in countries that cooperate with it.