Kreml denies possible Putin-Trump meeting in Saudi Arabia

Russia has denied speculations about a planned meeting between Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia. According to Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin's spokesperson, Trump's planned visit to Saudi Arabia is "in no way connected with Putin" and that his trip is only "plans of the US head of state". Trump had announced to visit Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks, without specifying a date. "It could be next month, maybe a little later," he told journalists in Washington. Already in February, Trump hinted at "probably" meeting Putin in the kingdom, without revealing specific details. Although Trump and Putin had already spoken twice since February, they had not yet met in person. Peskov clarified that it is currently unclear "when and where a possible meeting between Putin and Trump will take place". In Saudi Arabia, talks had already taken place in recent weeks between US representatives and delegations from Russia and Ukraine about a possible ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict. The kingdom has positioned itself as a possible mediator in the Ukraine war during this time and reaffirmed its connections to both conflict parties.