Though it occured before last month’s “tit-for-tat” announcements that Russian diplomats would be expelled from U.S. and vice versa, both the Kremlin and the Trump administration on Monday confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump discussed the possibility of an in-person meeting, with Trump reportedly putting forward the idea of a White House summit.
Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov told reporters in Moscow on Monday that Trump initiated the idea of a White House meeting, saying, “During a telephone conversation between our presidents, Trump suggested that the first meeting could be held in Washington.”
Ushakov, according to the TASS news agency, said that since the call took place on March 20, no specific plans have come together.
“After the conversation,” he said, “which was constructive and business-like and touched upon many issues, there was another breakdown in our bilateral relations, 60 diplomats were expelled, our consulate was closed and Russia had to give a tit-for-tat response to that.”
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