President Donald Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin to congratulate him on his reelection and discussed plans for a meeting, according to the White House and the Kremlin.
Trump confirmed that he wanted to meet with Putin.
“I think probably we’ll be seeing President Putin in the not-too-distant future,” Trump told reporters at the White House, saying that it would be good for the two leaders to discuss the prevention of an arms race, the situations in Syria, Ukraine, and North Korea.
American presidents have traditionally extended congratulations for Putin’s electoral victories, despite reports of questionable election activities. Former President Barack Obama called to congratulate the president-elect in 2012.
The Kremlin released a statement first, revealing that the two leaders also discussed a possible summit meeting and Trump’s decision to appoint CIA Director Mike Pompeo as his new Secretary of State.
Trump and Putin discussed Ukraine and Syria as well as the process for a peaceful solution on North Korea.
The Kremlin noted that Trump called Putin to congratulate him and discussed several issues facing the country including combating terrorism, limiting arms races, and cooperating on economic priorities.
Trump and Putin last met informally at the Asia Pacific summit in November 2017.